Yankees' Nestor Cortes Makes Bold Statement About Playing Through Injury in World Series

Although Nestor Cortes has yet to fully recover from a flexor strain, the New York Yankees pitcher said he is willing to put his body on the line for a World Series ring.

Sep 12, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes (65) walks to the dugout in the middle of the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes, still working his way back from a flexor strain in his left elbow, made it very clear Tuesday just how far he is willing to go to win his first World Series ring.

"We have weighed in the consequences," Cortes told reporters about potentially playing through his injury. "But if I have a ring and then a year off of baseball, then so be it."

Cortes hit the injured list back on Sept. 25, getting scratched from his final scheduled start of the regular season. That knocked him out of commission for the ALDS and ALCS, although he kept the door open for a return if New York made a deep playoff run.

The Yankees have done just that, winning the American League pennant by eliminating the Cleveland Guardians in five games last Saturday.

Cortes threw 28 pitches in a live bullpen session Tuesday, per NJ.com's Max Goodman, showing that he is physically capable of rejoining New York's pitching staff in Los Angeles on Friday. Despite being a starting pitcher at this point in his career, Cortes likely profiles as a reliever in the Fall Classic due to his extended time off and lack of buildup time.

Nestor Cortes, recovering from a flexor strain but who expects to be on the WS roster, on the risk he's taking perhaps coming back too soon: "We have weighed in the consequences...but if I have a ring and then a year off of baseball, then so be it."

— Erik Boland (@eboland11) October 22, 2024

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday there was a "good chance" that Cortes would earn a spot on the team's World Series roster. Should he indeed clear all the hurdles ahead of Game 1 against the Dodgers, Cortes' inclusion could bump Marcus Stroman or Tim Mayza out of the picture.

Cortes broke out as a part-time starter for the Yankees in 2021, then he ascended to All-Star status in 2022. The southpaw went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA, 0.922 WHIP and 4.4 WAR that year, finishing eighth in AL Cy Young voting.

The 2023 season did not treat Cortes as kindly, considering he posted a 4.97 ERA and was limited to 63.1 innings as a result of multiple shoulder injuries.

Cortes somewhat returned to form in 2024, going 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA, 1.153 WHIP and 2.6 WAR. The 29-year-old set career-highs in starts and innings pitched, notching quality starts in 13 of his 31 outings.

However, the Yankees went just 14-17 in games in which Cortes took the mound this season. New York also went just 1-2 when Cortes pitched for them in the 2022 postseason.

It remains to be seen just how much Cortes can contribute to the Yankees' pursuit of their 28th title, but he seems to be comfortable leaving it all out there on the field.

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