The New York Yankees finally entered the .500 ball club after a thumping series opener win against the Detroit Tigers. The team has won seven out of the last eight games, which included a streak of five games. However, despite the short resurgence, the Bombers have been unable to ditch the last place in the American League East division.
Time is running out, and so is the race to playoffs. The Yankees have only over 20 games left on the schedule to close out the 6.5-game gap with the Blue Jays in order to secure the playoff wildcard spot. As per the current scenario, it seems far-fetched. Amid this, the team has decided to shut down a key starter who has been reeling from a shoulder cuff strain for months.
Nestor Cortes Unlikely To Return This Season, Confirms Skipper Aaron Boone
Nestor Cortes entered the 2023 MLB season as the New York Yankees key starter. The rotation was incomplete due to injury setbacks, and Cortes had a major role in keeping things from falling apart. To be fair on the pitcher, he tried his absolute best. In 12 starts, he set up a 4.97 ERA with 67 strikeouts. But the dreaded injuries played a major spoilsport for the whole Yanks camp, let alone Cortes. The starter was shut down in early June due to rotator cuff strain. He missed two months before returning to the mound in August. Nestor pitched on August 5 against the Astros, wherein he allowed only a single run in four innings.
Cortes looked in good touch post-return. However, apparently, the pitcher had rushed his recovery process, due to which the rotator cuff injury relapsed in just a week. Less than a week after his comeback, Cortes landed on IL with the same injury. It’s been a month since then, and recently, skipper Aaron Boone shared a major update on the same. When asked about the pitcher’s likely return this season, Boone said, “I would say no.” However, the manager retracted his statement the next second, saying, “Never say never.” Apparently, the starter is set to begin his throwing program, and the Yankees will monitor his progress as the season progresses. Having said that, there is no point in risking Nestor Cortes at this stage since the 2023 season is almost dead and meaningless.
Yankees Big Trade Acquisition Land On IL With Injury Scare!
The New York Yankees, ignoring all the hype, made questionable moves during the trade deadline this year. Relievers Spencer Howard and Keynan Middleton entered the organization on August 1. However, just a month later, the Bombers released Howard to make roster space for prospects. And now, even Middleton is out with an injury setback.
On Wednesday, the New York Yankees placed Keynan Middleton on 15-day IL with inflammation in his right shoulder. In his short stay, the reliever pitched 13 innings and recorded a 0.68 ERA. Moreover, his return for this season seems unlikely. Meanwhile, in a corresponding move, left-hander Matt Krook has been recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
