The New York Yankees’ wait to clinch the AL-East division was extended further as they dropped game 2 of the series against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. Marcus Stroman was taken to the cleaners by the Oriole’s in-form hitters as the Yanks’ offense fell short in a 9-7 defeat at home turf.
However, Marcus Stroman wasn’t even supposed to pitch on Wednesday. Aaron Boone had demoted him to the bullpen ahead of the playoffs. But a last-minute injury to a key starting pitcher has turned Boone’s plans upside down. With days left for ALDS, the New York Yankees have lost a veteran starter, possibly for the rest of the season.
Nestor Cortes Ruled Out For ALDS With Sudden Elbow Injury
During the early hours of Wednesday, news from the New York Yankees clubhouse dropped that the starting pitcher for game 2 against the Orioles, Nestor Cortes, was heading for an MRI scan. Apparently, Cortes was feeling banged up after his start against the Cubs and mistook it for regular wear and tear. But when the discomfort didn’t subside, he reported it to the Yankee management, who, in fact, had no clue about Cortes’ suffering. That being said, the left-hander now faces a potential end to his season after an MRI revealed a left elbow flexor strain. Although his UCL remains intact, the team is seeking further opinions from specialists Dr. Neal ElAttrache and Dr. Keith Meister on the flexor muscle.
Nonetheless, Nestor Cortes still holds out hope of returning in October if the New York Yankees advance deep into the playoffs, though manager Aaron Boone acknowledged that time is running out. “It sucks that I’m in this position right now to where I can’t help the team,” Cortes said on his injury diagnosis. Notably, Cortes had recently been on a strong run, posting a 1.58 ERA over his last seven appearances and allowing just one run in his past 15 ¹/₃ innings. His strong performances had solidified his role as a potential multi-inning bullpen weapon for the Yanks in the playoffs. However, the plan was aborted temporality as the Bronx Bombers recalled Cody Poteet from Triple-A as an immediate replacement. Meanwhile, the next plan of action for Cortes is to be shut down for at least 7-10 days, with a PRP injection likely.
Did Yankees Bullpen Move Hamper Nestor Cortes’ Injury?
Interestingly, the New York Yankees had demoted Nestor Cortes to bullpen for a day earlier this month to accommodate injury returning pitchers Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil to the starting rotaition. The pitcher was miffed with the decision yet delivered scoreless four innings as piggyback pitcher.
However, Nestor Cortes seemingly dismissed the idea of the bullpen decision potentially impacting his elbow injury. “I thought it was one of those instances where I might get through it. Being a regular human being through the day,” Cortes said on Wednesday. Moreover, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone also claimed that he wasn’t aware of Cortes’ elbow troubles when he moved him to the pen.
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