UPDATE: The Yankees have placed Nestor Cortes on the 15-day IL with a left elbow flexor strain, and called up RHP Cody Poteet. In addition, RHP Marcus Stroman will start Wednesday night vs. Baltimore. Original story below:
Some potentially crushing news for the New York Yankees: per YES Network’s Jack Curry, Nestor Cortes is undergoing an MRI on his left elbow.
Cortes was scheduled to start Wednesday night’s potential AL East clincher in the Bronx against the Orioles, but Curry also reports that RHP Cody Poteet is expected to be at Yankee Stadium tonight.
Cortes made waves for his comments on piggybacking Clarke Schmidt earlier this month in Chicago, but he spun 4 1/3 innings of no-hit ball in that game, and in his last seven outings (six starts and that relief appearance), he is 4-0 with a 1.58 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 38 Ks in 40 innings, lowering his ERA from 4.42 on August 8 to 3.77 on the season.
Even if he was not going to be in the postseason rotation, Cortes, who has thrown 174.1 innings this year, could have been a weapon in the bullpen, both in terms of giving length as well as his ability to limit lefties, which he has done to a .204/.248/.282 slash line on 153 plate appearances this year.
Now, the team must hope his MRI shows nothing concerning, and can simply rest him heading into what would likely be an Oct. 5 postseason beginning.
Poteet was 3-0 with a 2.14 ERA in 21 innings over four starts in the Bronx earlier this year, before he spent three months on the IL with a triceps injury. Poteet made six rehab starts in August and September, allowing five earned runs in 19 2/3 innings, but has not pitched since Sept. 17, as Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s season ended last Sunday.
The Yankees could also turn to Marcus Stroman, who was moved to the bullpen last week and has not pitched in eight days; his last outing was a three-inning save in Seattle on Sept. 17, where he allowed one run on five hits, and his last start saw him throw 5 1/3 innings in a loss to Kansas City on Sept. 10.