ANAHEIM, Calif. — Yankees starter Nestor Cortes had a practice session at Angel Stadium, where he threw 35 pitches. It was like simulating two innings, and he faced Aaron Judge, who was in the batter’s box just to track the pitches, and Franchy Cordero.
After being sidelined since the start of June due to a left rotator cuff strain, if Cortes bounces back well from this practice session as anticipated, the next step is for the Yankees’ left-handed pitcher to start a rehab assignment on Saturday. The specific team he’ll be playing for is yet to be decided. Cortes can return from the 60-day injured list on August 3rd.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Nestor did well.
Aaron Judge takes practice to the next level
Meanwhile, Aaron Judge used the session to face live pitching without swinging. The current AL MVP, who has been sidelined since June 3 due to a torn ligament in his right big toe, started taking regular batting practice on the field last Friday in Denver. He continued with the practice on Monday and also did some running in the outfield.
The specific date for Judge’s rehab assignment is yet to be decided, but the Yankees are pleased with the recent progress he has shown.
Three Yankees outfielders inch toward return
The Yankees have three outfielders who are getting closer to coming back from their injuries. Greg Allen, who had a hip flexor strain, will move his rehab assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday. He played two games with Low-A Tampa over the weekend.
Jake Bauers, who had a left rotator cuff contusion, will also join Allen at SWB on Tuesday. He will practice for a few days before starting his own rehab assignment.
Because there will be many players rehabilitating at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Willie Calhoun, who had a left quad strain, will head to Double-A Somerset on Tuesday. He will practice with full baseball activities for a few days before starting his rehab assignment.
As these three outfielders make progress in their recovery, the Yankees might face a situation where they have too many players on the roster. Boone said that it was alright and mentioned that having more decisions to make, especially when talented people are involved, would be better.
Montas injury update
Frankie Montas arrived at Angel Stadium on Monday to join the Yankees after meeting with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.
According to Boone, Montas’ appointment with ElAttrache, who conducted his shoulder surgery in February, went well, and Montas will carry on with his throwing program.
Montas, who took a break from throwing for a few days, has resumed playing catch, including on Monday. However, he has not thrown off the mound yet.
Boone mentioned that Montas’ progress is on track and that everything went well during his meeting with Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
On Monday, the Yankees made deals with their top two draft picks. They signed George Lombard Jr., a high school shortstop selected in the first round, and Kyle Carr, a junior college left-hander picked in the third round.
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