Nestor Cortes nears Yankees return with scoreless outing in second rehab start
Yankees LHP Nestor Cortes fired four scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out five and walking one over 49 pitches (36 strikes) of Friday's rehab start with Double-A Somerset.
After his outing, Cortes said that he "has one more rehab appearance to go with about 60 pitches," The Trentonian's Greg Johnson reported. "And after that, we'll see what happens."
Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters, including MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, before Friday's 7:05 p.m. game at the Baltimore Orioles, which did not start on time and entered a weather delay, that Cortes was likely to throw another rehab start.
The Baltimore-affiliated Bowie Baysox only reached base against Cortes on a back-to-back sequence in the second inning -- Donta' Williams' walk and Anthony Servideo's single up the middle, both of which came with two outs -- and Shayne Fontana's fourth-inning single to left field.
Cortes responded to each with inning-ending groundouts, including the fourth's 5-4-3 double play.
The outing follows Cortes' initial rehab start from this past Sunday, a 42-pitch performance in a 7-2 Somerset win at the Colorado Rockies-affiliated Hartford Yard Goats.
Cortes, who fired 31 strikes, allowed one run on four hits (one homer) while striking out four and walking none in 2.1 IP.
The Yankees placed Cortes on the 15-day IL on June 8 (retroactive to June 5) with a left rotator cuff strain.
New York transferred Cortes to the 60-day IL on July 7 before sending him on his rehab assignment with Somerset.
Cortes last pitched for the Yankees May 30, a 10-2 win at the Seattle Mariners, in which he allowed two runs on five hits while striking out six and walking three over five innings.
Through 11 starts this season with New York, Cortes is 5-2 with a 5.16 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.
