New York Yankees pitching staff has suffered a lot due to persistent injury woes. The key starting pitcher, Carlos Rodon, is yet to make his debut. Not only that but for the most part of the ongoing 2023 season, the team has played without a complete five-member rotation. Amid the scarcity of starters, the team’s heavily crowded bullpen stepped up in time to rescue the team from a humiliating debacle.
Just when things were finally back on track, an injury bug shunted the Yankee’s progress. Starting pitcher Nestor Cortes and reliever, Ian Hamilton fell prey to injuries while they were performing at their absolute best. This came as a big blow to the team, who relied on the pitcher’s services. Meanwhile, ahead of the Oakland series, the team announced fresh injury updates on the duo.
Nestor Cortes To Throw A Bullpen Session Over The Weekend
New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes was a key piece of the rotation this season. The team was banking heavily on his experience to rattle the batters with nasty pitches. However, after a positive start to the season, Cortes fell prey to an injury. He had already missed the opening day due to a hamstring injury. But fortunately, returned back in time. Meanwhile, in the first week of June, Nestor started feeling significant discomfort in his throwing shoulder. Moreover, he was placed on IL after scans and was also given a cortisone injection for a speedy recovery. After taking the injection, Cortes halted baseball-related activities for two weeks.
After two weeks, he played catch and threw on the ground. Moreover, as per the latest updates, Nestor Cortes is feeling “good” and is all set to hit his first bullpen session over the weekend. He said that he was scared at first to throw after taking the injection as he was unsure if the pain had completely subsided. But once he gained his rhythm, everything fell perfectly in place. Throwing a bullpen session is a significant step in a pitcher’s recovery process. Once he clears this, Cortes will have to play a rehab assignment before eventually returning to the lineup. Overall, in a perfect world, Nestor Cortes should get back on the Yankees lineup by mid-to-late July.
Yankees Reinstate Reliever Ian Hamilton From IL
Reliever Ian Hamilton proved to be the Yankee’s breakout reliever of the 2023 MLB season. In 16 bullpen appearances this season, he has recorded a 1.23 ERA with one save. The 23-year-old came out of nowhere to steal the show in pitching this season. However, his dream run was cut short due to a groin injury. He landed in IL in mid-May due to groin strain and has been under a grueling recovery process.
Meanwhile, ahead of the game against the Oakland Athletics, the Yankees officially reinstate Ian Hamilton from IL without any restrictions. In the corresponding move, Jhony Briton was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make space for Hamilton. Brito has also been impressive during his short stint in the majors. But, this time around, he had to face the cruel side of the sport of baseball.
