Nestor Cortes might be done for the season as Yankees' rotation woes continue
MIAMI - Nestor Cortes might have thrown his last pitch this season, piling more bad news onto this spiraling Yankees' season.
And with Carlos Rodon nursing a strained hamstring and Luis Severino lost at sea, the Yankees' updated rotation catchphrase is "Cole and Clarke and hope for a spark.''
Maybe the Yankees get that boost from right-handed rookies Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito, who've had some limited big league success as starters but are now being counted upon at a critical moment.
"If we're going to make a run at it, we're going to need everybody healthy,'' Cortes said Friday, before Vasquez picked up a victory in the Yankees' 9-4 win against the Marlins at Loan Depot Park.
Vasquez entered in the third inning, after Ian Hamilton's second straight "opener'' outing, and Brito was slated to pitch the bulk of Saturday's game in place of Cortes, who appears done for the year.
Pitching aggressively with a lead - following a three-run homer by Anthony Volpe and a monstrous, 464-foot solo shot by Aaron Judge - Vasquez yielded two runs in 3.2 innings.
"I'm excited to see more out of him,'' said Judge, while Vasquez - through an interpreter - feels more comfortable and confident with each outing.
"Every start is an opportunity,'' said Vasquez, who should have an extended chance now.
And if the Yankees - four games out of a wild card spot to begin Saturday - have a run in them, they'll need more nights like Friday's 14-hit effort.
Plus, they'll need more reliable starting pitching to follow ace Gerrit Cole and the capable Clarke Schmidt.
Nestor Cortes shut down for three weeks
Just prior to Friday night's game, the lefty Cortes was placed back on the injured list due to recurrence of a rotator cuff strain - an injury that originally put him on the shelf following a May 30 start at Seattle.
Cortes made one start off the IL, last Saturday, yielding one run in four innings while striking out eight Astros in a no-decision against Houston at Yankee Stadium.
"I think a reason why I threw 96 (mph) was because I was feeling good,'' said Cortes, offering that his arm "felt great'' but that "the added adrenaline'' might have led to his re-injury since "it was hard to gauge my limit.''
But as he previously experienced in May, Cortes had trouble bouncing back after his start (64 pitches).
Scheduled to pitch against the Marlins on Saturday, Cortes's discomfort was enough to cancel Thursday's between-starts bullpen.
Cortes's latest MRI revealed the strain, in a different spot but "more pronounced" than his previous injury according to the lefty.
"Hopefully, I could come back at some point this year,'' said Cortes, though he acknowledged "there's always that thought'' about being done for the year.
Surgery has not been floated as an option, said Cortes, who will be shut down for at least three weeks and re-evaluated.
Spotlight on the Yankees' compromised rotation
However, with a little more than seven weeks remaining in the regular season, manager Aaron Boone said "it's probably tough with that kind of timetable'' to expect Cortes to pitch again this year.
Rodon (strained hamstring) is hopeful of returning in late August, but he's hardly been at his best this season, posting a 7.33 ERA in just six starts, having spent the bulk of 2023 on the IL (forearm strain, back tightness).
Earlier this month, Domingo German - author of a perfect game and owner of a 4.56 ERA this year - was placed on the restricted list, having agreed to alcohol treatment following a disturbing clubhouse incident.
If the Yanks' rotation were more whole, Severino - with an 8.06 ERA this season - would be working out of the bullpen, but he's scheduled to pitch Tuesday at Atlanta according to Boone.
Additionally, Boone said it's unlikely that Frankie Montas would pitch this year following offseason shoulder surgery. Acquired at last year's trade deadline, Montas made just eight starts for the Yanks in 2022, going 1-3 with a 6.35 ERA.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Nestor Cortes injury: Yankees place pitcher on injured list
