Nestor Cortes reported to Yankees camp Monday as part of the crew of pitchers and catchers headed to the World Baseball Classic – except he isn’t going.
Cortes told the assembled media he has a Grade 2 strain of his right hamstring, and while he is throwing off flat ground, he will not throw off a mound for a few weeks.
That could put the start of the regular season in jeopardy, although Cortes said “it's definitely doable to start the season off healthy and in the rotation.”
The lefty, who was 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts in his breakout 2022, missed time in August with a left groin injury, and then left Game 4 of the ALCS early because of another issue with that same groin – one that kept him from starting his offseason program until well into November.
Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland will take Cortes’ spot on Team USA, per the Denver Gazette.
With Cortes out, the Yankees now have just three MLB players headed to the WBC: catcher Kyle Higashioka, second baseman Gleyber Torres, and righty Jonathan Loaisiga.
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More importantly, though, Cortes’ hammy is a blow to the back end of a rotation that is already thinning behind Gerrit Cole and free agent Carlos Rodon. Frankie Montas is likely to miss the first part of the season dealing with shoulder inflammation, and with Cortes also compromised, the Yankees have Luis Severino – who has a lengthy injury history of his own and was kept out of the WBC because of it – in the No. 3 spot with Domingo German and Clarke Schmidt likely the next options in line for the final two spots.
Pitchers and catchers not headed to the WBC will report later this week, and the Yankees could now look to take a flyer on some of the remaining free agent starters available, although they are reportedly hesitant to pass the third luxury tax threshold, which they are projected to be right up against.
Michael Wacha, Dylan Bundy, and Chris Archer are the most prominent names still without teams, although the Yankees could also look to go the minor-league deal route with someone as well.
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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