New York Yankees Starter Nestor Cortes Doesn't Hold Back About New Role

New York Yankees starter Nestor Cortes did not mince words about his role change.

Sep 7, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Nestor Cortes (65) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the eight inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Coffee's for closers only, but Nestor Cortes doesn't seem interested.

Cortes was one of the notable stars of the New York Yankees' 2-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, earning the win with 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball in the interleague tilt. The left-hander allowed just one baserunner in that span, a Seiya Suzuki walk in the sixth as he finished the job after Clarke Schmidt's long-awaited return to action.

Despite his prowess from the pen, Cortes (W, 9-10) didn't mince words when he was asked about his turn in the rotation being skipped in the aftermath.

"Obviously, I was upset. I feel like amongst all the starters, I’ve been the workhorse here,” Cortes said, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “Once [Gerrit] Cole went down, they picked me to be the Opening Day starter; not necessarily the No. 1, but the Opening Day starter, I had to switch my routine there, and now they do this."

Saturday marked Cortes' first relief appearance in the regular season since July 2021. While Cortes earned wins in four of his past six starts, he lasted just four innings in last Sunday's loss to St. Louis.

New York (82-60) opted to use Cortes as a reliever with Schmidt and Luis Gil returning to the mound after injuries. Cole is expected to start the series finale in Chicago (2:20 p.m. ET, YES) while Cortes may still be on pace to start on Thursday, the opener of a four-game visit from Boston.

Despite his dissatisfaction, Cortes vowed to fulfill whatever role the Yankees tasked him with to the best of his abilities.

"I’m never going to back down from a challenge, I’m never going to leave my teammates out to dry," Cortes said. "You’re always going to get my best effort, no matter if I’m happy or not. That’s what I did today. I just came out there and proved that I can be put in any situation, and from here on out, if that’s what’s my role, then I’ll accept it.”

Yankees brass made the decision during the prior series in Texas. Manager Aaron Boone said that Cortes was "all right" when informed of the weekend plans in Chicago.

“He wants to start, but he also wants to win,” Boone said, per Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “He’ll be a pro. And again, he’s not out of the mix as a starter.”