Nestor Cortes made his frustrations clear about the Yankees’ decision to move him to the bullpen, but his performance Saturday silenced any doubts. The left-hander threw 4⅓ hitless innings in relief to help New York secure a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Yankees’ Nestor Cortes adapts to bullpen role
“Obviously, I was upset,” Cortes said after the game. “I’ve felt like the workhorse among our starters. After Cole went down in spring training, they chose me as the Opening Day starter. Now, they made this change. But I’m never going to back down or leave my teammates hanging. You’re always going to get my best effort, whether I’m happy or not.”
Nestor Cortes, who was moved to the bullpen for one rotation cycle following the returns of Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt from injury, excelled in his first relief appearance since 2021. His strong outing against the Cubs leaves the Yankees with questions about his role moving forward, especially with a series against the Red Sox beginning Thursday in The Bronx.
While the Yankees plan to use a six-man rotation for one cycle, they are expected to return to five starters for the final two weeks of the season. “I have no idea how it’s going to play out,” said Nestor Cortes, who entered Saturday with a 4.08 ERA over 28 starts.
“I know they told me I’m starting against Boston, but with a six-man rotation and off days, it’s unclear. We’ll see.”
Manager Aaron Boone praised Cortes, saying, “It’s a testament to being a professional. He wasn’t thrilled, but he still had a job to do, and he excelled.”
Nestor Cortes entered the game in a high-leverage situation, with a runner on third and two outs in the fifth inning. He ended the threat by getting Christian Bethancourt to pop out and went on to retire 13 of the 14 batters he faced, allowing just one walk.
Reflecting on the outing, Nestor Cortes noted, “It felt a little weird at first, especially being down there with Clarke two outs in the fifth, but I’ve been in this spot before. It felt good to strand that runner at third.”
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