New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes pulled out of World Baseball Classic 2023 after sustaining an injury.
Nestor Cortes arrived in New York with a minor league contract in 2020 which was later upgraded in 2021. Apart from his outer appearance, Nestor became a fan favorite, having clicked 103 strikeouts with a 2.90 ERA. As a result, the Yankees placed him on the starting roster in the 2022 MLB season. The pitcher continued his dominance and made his first All-Star game appearance.
Ahead of the 2023 MLB season, Cortes faced arbitration during the off-season. The New York Yankees offered a one-year extension deal worth $3.2 million, which the pitcher accepted gracefully and thus avoided arbitration. However, ahead of the 2023 season opening day, the Yanks face a major blow as Nestor Cortes reportedly went down with an injury.
Nestor Cortes Pulls Up Hamstring, To Miss WBC 2023
During the 2022 MLB postseason, Team USA announced Nestor Cortes’ participation in the World Baseball Classic in 2023. The star Yankees pitcher was all set to grace the World stage with his strong arm. However, according to the latest media reports, the pitcher has picked up a hamstring injury just days ahead of the WBC. Moreover, Nestor has reportedly pulled out of the World tournament as a precautionary measure. Kyle Freeland will replace Cortes on USA’s roster.
Furthermore, according to Andy Martino of SNY, Nestor Cortes suffered a Grade 2 hamstring pull, which will disallow him to throw for the next few weeks. While the injury is undoubtedly a setback for Cortes, he is optimistic about his chances of being healthy for the start of the 2023 MLB season. FYI, Cortes is a part of the Yanks’ starting pitching roster, which is already missing a piece. Hence, his focus will now shift to rehabbing his hamstring, preparing for the upcoming MLB season, and making it on time for the opening day.
New York Yankees Starting Pitching Rotation In Tatters As Injury Concerns Takes Over
Just ahead of the spring training, injury concerns have taken over the New York Yankees camp. The Yankees, for instance, built a strong defense to fix their last season’s mistakes. However, the same defense is now falling apart. Firstly, Frankie Montas picked up a shoulder injury days after his contract extension announcement. The injury ruled Montas out for the initial month of the 2023 season. Now to make matters worse, the Yanks have another pitcher sitting on the injury list.
Another starting pitcher, Nestor Cortes, picked up a Grade 2 hamstring injury and has been removed from the WBC 2023 roster. Even though the pitcher is confident of making it to the opening day, the chances look bleak at the moment considering the magnitude of his injury. With this, the New York Yankees lose 2 of their starting five pitchers. If both Montas and Corter fail to show up on the opening day, Clarke Schmidt and Domingo German will join the starting rotation on a temporary basis.