It’s Gerrit Cole in Game 1…and perhaps Nestor Cortes, too?
Yankees manager Aaron Boone told the media Monday that Cole will get the ball, as expected, for Game 1 of the World Series in his hometown of Los Angeles Friday night, but Tuesday we learned he could be one of 13 pitchers – not 12, or 11, like the ALCS and ALDS, respectively – on the World Series roster.
“Could be 13. We'll see,” Boone said before the Yankees’ pre-departure workout day.
That 13th pitcher could, and likely would, be Cortes, who has been out since Sept. 18 due to a flexor strain in his left elbow. The lefty had been throwing throughout the ALCS and threw a sim game/live BP during Tuesday’s workout, so how he comes through that could determine if the Yankees will add him to the World Series roster – but Boone did say during a Zoom with the media Monday that there is a ‘good chance’ Cortes would be on that list.
The Yankees added Marcus Stroman between the ALDS and ALCS, although he did not pitch, and made a move to replace Ian Hamilton with Mark Leiter Jr. mid-series, so Hamilton is ineligible for the World Series roster.
How Boone and the brass choose to deploy the roster won’t be truly known until the end of the week, as the Yankees’ 26-man group is not due to MLB until Friday afternoon.
That said, he was asked about the possibility of a pitching surprise on the Dodgers’ side…but when asked if he would have the Yankees ready for a possible Shohei Ohtani pitching appearance at some point, the skipper said, “I haven’t given much thought to that, but if that’s the case, we’ll be ready for everything.”
Ohtani, of course, has not pitched this season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and Dave Roberts may not want to risk the health of his DH and charter member of the 50/50 club, even with his postseason struggles at the plate – but hey, it’s the World Series, so never say never.