Last week, Yankees starter Nestor Cortes was “upset” with the team’s decision to have him work out of the bullpen.
While he understood and was willing to help the team, and it was just one time through the rotation, it was enough to have the southpaw publicly voice his displeasure. He pitched well in relief that day but it put all eyes on him when the Yankees put him back in the rotation for Thursday’s game against the Boston Red Sox.
And Cortes rose to the challenge.
While not as efficient as he’d want to be, Cortes allowed just one run over five innings while striking out nine batters.
“Nestor’s stuff was really good,” manager Aaron Boone said after the team’s 2-1 extra-inning win. “I wasn’t going to go more than 90 [pitches] with him since he hasn’t been there in a while, but he set himself up.”
Thursday’s start was another of a string of good one for Cortes. He has now allowed just seven earned runs over 29.2 innings the last five times he’s started a game, which includes the four-inning, five-run stinker against the Cardinals on Sept. 1.
“The reality is he’s been throwing the ball really well the last month,” Boone said of Cortes. “He’s been throwing the ball really well for awhile now and tonight was more of the same.”
After the game, Cortes said he wasn’t told if he’ll be making his next start but when he was asked if he felt like he “deserved” to stay in the rotation, the 29-year-old’s mindset remained on his team.
“As far as deserve, no. I’m just trying to go out there and throw as many zeroes as I can,” he said. “I know last week I might’ve came off like I was asking for too much, but I got my point across and at the end of the day I’m going to do whatever this team needs for me to do to win. Whether it’s throwing 40 pitches out of the ‘pen or 70 pitches out of the ‘pen or starting a full game.
“The goal we have it in sight and we are two weeks away and all we want to do is win ballgames and get to October. Whether it’s out of the bullpen or starting I’m going to be here for the team.”
Whenever a decision like having a starter move to the bullpen, even if just temporarily, is made it can mess with the psyche of the pitcher. Boone said that Cortes’ makeup and past experience made him a good candidate to make that move.
“Nestor likes competition,” Boone explained. “In a lot of ways, Nestor’s always been that guy that has proved people wrong or had to earn everything he’s got. He’s succeeded in that [relief] role before so I felt like on a one-off there, it’s a good fit.”
Cortes has made 49 relief appearances in his career, pitching to a 4.93 ERA, but whether he’ll continue to be used in that role is still unclear.
The Yankees are heading to the postseason and the playoff roster will come with some possible omissions. The team has six legit starters on their roster and they won’t be able to bring them all on board.
Cortes says he’s not thinking about whether he’ll be on the roster or what his role will be, but he’s confident in his abilities.
“I’m just trying to throw as many zeros as possible no matter where I am,” Cortes said. “There’s always that chip on my shoulder. I never want to lose that, lose that edge. It’s what helps me pitch every five days. I’m confident of who I am and pitch as best as possible.”
Source Agencies
