New York Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes made his first appearance on Saturday since May 30 in a start against the Houston Astros (GameTracker). Cortes, who took the roster spot of fellow lefty Nick Ramirez, held the Astros to one run on one hit and a walk over four innings. He struck out eight batters, including three in the first inning, on what was a pitch-count restricted 64 offerings.
😎 Nasty Nestor's back! Cortes strikes out the side in the 1st.#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/hYhMzIleOu
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 5, 2023
Cortes earned a no-decision, but the Yankees won, 3-1.
The 28-year-old pitcher had been sidelined for more than two months because of a strained rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder. Prior to suffering the injury, he had been in the midst of a disappointing season. In 11 starts, he had accumulated a 5.16 ERA (82 ERA+) and a 3.11 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Cortes had emerged as an above-average starting pitcher in recent years, compiling a 154 ERA+ and 7.1 Wins Above Replacement in 2021-22.
The Yankees as a whole have struggled this season. They entered play on Saturday with a 57-53 record, putting them in last place in the American League East. What's more is that the Yankees are 3 1/2 games back of the final wild-card spot. New York had encountered some turbulence this week. To recap:
- On Tuesday: They made just two minor moves at the deadline, the more notable of which saw them acquire reliever Keynan Middleton from the Chicago White Sox.
- On Wednesday: They placed starter Domingo Germán on the restricted list so that he could seek treatment for alcohol abuse.
- On Thursday: They placed first baseman Anthony Rizzo on the injured list with a "likely" concussion that stemmed from a collision in late May.
The Yankees have also started the second half mired in an 8-11 funk. All they can hope now is that Cortes helps them right the ship before it's too late.
