Cortes (2-2) allowed one hit and struck out three without walking a batter over six scoreless innings to earn the win over the Dodgers on Saturday.
Cortes turned in his best start of the season, retiring 16 straight batters to begin the game before giving up a single to Miguel Rojas in the sixth inning. This was Cortes' second quality start of the campaign, both of which account for his two wins. He's at a 4.66 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 25:15 K:BB through 29 innings over six starts. The southpaw will look to carry this momentum into his next start, which is tentatively scheduled to be at Minnesota.
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Padres' Nestor Cortes: Done in by early homers
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Cortes (1-2) allowed four runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out five over 5.2 innings to take the loss versus the Giants on Monday.
Cortes gave up all four runs on three home runs in the first inning. He had allowed just one homer over his first two starts as a Padre, but his home debut for the team started poorly, and the damage was too much for his teammates to overcome. On the year, Cortes is now at a 5.87 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 22:15 K:BB through 23 innings across five starts between San Diego and Milwaukee. He is projected for a tough home start versus the Dodgers this weekend.
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Padres' Nestor Cortes: Strikes out six in no-decision
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Cortes allowed a run on six hits and a walk while striking out six over 4.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Giants on Tuesday.
Cortes was an out shy of qualifying for the win. He threw 79 pitches (54 strikes), just three more pitches than he had in his San Diego debut last Wednesday, so it's possible the Padres will keep some limits in place. He's allowed a total of three runs on nine hits and four walks over 9.1 innings over his two starts with the Padres. The southpaw is tentatively scheduled for a rematch with the Giants early next week, which will be in San Diego.
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Padres' Nestor Cortes: Tepid results in Padres debut
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Cortes allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three batters over 4.2 innings in a no-decision against Arizona on Wednesday.
Cortes made his debut with San Diego after joining the club via a trade from Milwaukee on July 31. The veteran lefty was wrapping up his rehab from an elbow injury at the time of the deal and was able to jump into the Padres' rotation Wednesday and handle a relatively healthy workload of 76 pitches. However, he seemed to have some rust in his first big-league start since April 3, as he threw just 45 strikes and walked three batters. Cortes also served up a long homer to Corbin Carroll, though he was at least able to keep San Diego from falling too far behind, and the Padres eventually pulled out the win with a comeback in the ninth inning. Cortes is slated to make his second start with his new team next week in San Francisco.
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Padres' Nestor Cortes: Comes off injured list
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The Padres reinstated Cortes (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Sunday.
Shortly after being acquired from the Brewers at the trade deadline, Cortes will join the Padres' 26-man active roster after missing about four months due to a flexor strain. The left-hander threw 93 pitches over 5.2 innings during his final rehab outing at Triple-A Nashville on July 24, so he should be able to handle a full starter's workload whenever he makes his Padres debut. The open spot in San Diego's rotation lines up for next weekend versus Boston, but the Padres could have Cortes take the mound during the three-game series in Arizona that begins Monday.
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Brewers' Nestor Cortes: Nearing end of rehab assignment
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Cortes (elbow) is scheduled to make his next rehab appearance Thursday and is expected to throw around 90 pitches, Jack Stern of BrewerFanatic.com reports.
Cortes has thus far made three rehab appearances between High-A Wisconsin and Triple-A Nashville, covering 12.1 innings in total and striking out nine while allowing one run on six hits and two walks. Assuming he checks out fine physically following Thursday's outing, Cortes will likely be cleared to return from the 60-day injured list next week. Though all five of the Brewers' starting pitchers are pitching effectively at the moment, Milwaukee could expand to a six-man rotation in order to accommodate Cortes' return.
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Brewers' Nestor Cortes: Sharp in second rehab start
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Cortes (elbow) struck out two and allowed three hits and no walks over four scoreless innings in his rehab start Thursday with High-A Wisconsin.
The southpaw has pitched effectively over two rehab starts with Wisconsin and Triple-A Nashville, tossing seven scoreless frames with a 6:0 K:BB. He built up to 54 pitches (36 strikes) in Thursday's outing, and Cortes may need just one more outing to get stretched out before making his return from the 60-day injured list shortly after the All-Star break. Though the Brewers are flush with appealing rotation options, Cortes' strong track record over the last four seasons should be enough for him to reclaim a starting role. After being acquired in the Devin Williams trade this winter, Cortes made just two appearances for the Brewers before being placed on the IL on April 6 due to a left elbow flexor strain.
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Brewers' Nestor Cortes: Continuing rehab stint
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Cortes (elbow) will continue his rehab assignment Thursday with High-A Wisconsin, Jack Stern of BrewerFanatic.com reports.
The veteran left-hander covered three scoreless innings during his first rehab outing with Triple-A Nashville on July 2, and he'll attempt to build up to around the 65-pitch mark Thursday. After his upcoming outing with Wisconsin, Cortes is likely to make an additional rehab start before potentially rejoining Milwaukee's rotation shortly after the All-Star break. Cortes has been on the shelf since April 6 due to a left elbow flexor strain.
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Brewers' Nestor Cortes: In midst of throwing program
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Cortes (elbow) resumed playing catch last week, MLB.com reports.
After being placed on the injured list April 6 due to a left elbow flexor strain, Cortes received a platelet-rich plasma injection and was shut down for about a month before being cleared to start up his throwing program. The Brewers haven't yet indicated that Cortes has been cleared for mound work, so he's presumably still in the process of increasing his throwing distance off flat ground. He was moved to the 60-day IL on April 21 and won't be eligible to rejoin Milwaukee until early June.
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Brewers' Nestor Cortes: Shifted to 60-day injured list
Rotowire
The Brewers transferred Cortes (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Monday.
The transaction frees a 40-man roster spot for the addition of Craig Yoho. Cortes now will not be eligible to return until June. He was given a platelet-rich plasma injection in his left elbow earlier this month to combat a flexor strain and has not yet been cleared to resume throwing, per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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Brewers' Nestor Cortes: Goes on IL with elbow strain
Rotowire
The Brewers placed Cortes on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a left elbow flexor strain.
After serving up five home runs and allowing eight runs in total over two innings against the Yankees in his Brewers debut March 29, Cortes bounced back nicely in his second start Thursday, holding the Reds scoreless while allowing one hit and two walks over six innings in a winning effort. Per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Brewers assistant general manager Matt Kleine said Sunday that Cortes was nursing the elbow issue heading into his start against Cincinnati, and Milwaukee wasn't confident that he would be ready to go for his next turn through the rotation. Kleine expressed optimism that the elbow strain isn't a "long-term issue," however. Cortes is eligible to return from the IL on April 19.
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Yankees' Nestor Cortes: Included on World Series roster
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Cortes (elbow) was added to the Yankees' World Series roster Friday.
Cortes has been shelved since late September with a left flexor strain but had faced hitters a couple times over the past week and bounced back with no issues. The left-hander is expected to be used in relief by the Yankees, although it's unclear how many innings he might be able to go.
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Yankees' Nestor Cortes: Throwing live batting practice
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Cortes (elbow) will throw a live batting practice session Wednesday, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.
It will be something of a hybrid bullpen session/live batting practice session, as Cortes is slated to throw 10-to-15 pitches off the bullpen mound before throwing another 10-to-15 to hitters. If all goes well, Cortes could face hitters again this weekend. The southpaw has been out since late September with a flexor strain but has a chance to be on the Yankees' World Series roster, should they advance. Cortes hasn't started a game in nearly a month, so if he does return for the World Series, it seems likely to be as a reliever.
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Yankees' Nestor Cortes: Out for ALCS; World Series possible
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Cortes (elbow) is not on the Yankees' ALCS roster but is in play for the World Series, should they advance, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.
Manager Aaron Boone said Monday that he's "really excited" where Cortes is at in his recovery from a left flexor strain. The southpaw resumed throwing a little over a week ago and could face hitters by this weekend. Cortes has been shelved since late September.
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Yankees' Nestor Cortes: Ramps up intensity
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Cortes (elbow) has continued to throw and was able to increase the intensity in Thursday's session, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Cortes maintains hope to pitch in the ALCS as the Yankees are a win away from advancing Thursday. The left-hander continues to make strides in his recovery from the flexor strain, but his availability for the rest of the playoffs remains up in the air.
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Yankees' Nestor Cortes: Catch goes well
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Cortes (elbow) played catch Sunday, which went well according to Yankees' pitching coach Matt Blake, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Cortes is working his way back from a left elbow flexor strain, and he's hopeful to pitch in the ALCS if New York is able to advance. His ability to throw with no issues Sunday is promising, and his next step will depend on how he responds Monday.
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Yankees' Nestor Cortes: Hoping for return late in playoffs
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Cortes (elbow) said he's hopeful to return from the 15-day injured list at some point late in the postseason if the Yankees make a deep run, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Cortes had been scheduled to start Wednesday against the Orioles, but he was scratched from the outing due to an elbow issue and was sent in for an MRI. He was diagnosed with a left elbow flexor strain and subsequently placed on the IL, making him ineligible to rejoin the Yankees until at least the ALCS. Cortes noted that he will be shut down for the next 7-to-10 days after getting a platelet-rich plasma injection for his elbow while also seeking at least two other doctors for further opinions on a treatment plan. On a positive note, Cortes told Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com that his UCL remains intact, so the lefty appears likely to avoid surgery and will hope to make a full recovery through rest and rehab.
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Yankees' Nestor Cortes: Undergoing MRI on elbow
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Cortes will undergo an MRI on his left elbow Wednesday, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.
Cortes had been slated to start Wednesday's game against the Orioles, but his immediate future is now cloudy while he awaits the MRI results. The veteran left-hander has been excellent lately, allowing just one earned run over his last 15.1 innings of work and boasting a 1.58 ERA covering his last 40 frames. Marcus Stroman -- whose last outing was a three-inning relief appearance Sept. 17 -- is a likely candidate to start Wednesday's contest. Cody Poteet is also expected to join the club at Yankee Stadium, although it's unclear whether he'll join the taxi squad or be added to the active roster.
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Yankees' Nestor Cortes: Nine strikeouts in no-decision
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Cortes came away with the no-decision in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Red Sox. He pitched five innings and allowed one run on three hits and three walks with nine strikeouts.
Cortes matched a season-high with nine strikeouts Thursday, which came on the heels of his first relief outing since 2021 last weekend. The left-hander is now back in the rotation with the Yankees going to a six-man unit for the stretch run. Outside of his Sept. 1 start versus the Cardinals when he gave up five runs, Cortes has now allowed one run or less in five of his last six appearances. The 29-year-old will take a 3.90 ERA and 1.15 WHIP into his next start, which tentatively lines up to come at Seattle.
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Yankees' Nestor Cortes: Back in rotation Thursday
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Cortes is slated to start Thursday's game against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Cortes will return to the New York rotation after he made his first relief appearance since the 2021 season in the Yankees' 2-0 win over the Cubs last Saturday, when he piggybacked Clarke Schmidt in the latter's return from the 60-day injured list. With both Schmidt and Luis Gil having recently been activated from the IL, the Yankees now have six healthy starters on hand, and one of those pitchers will likely lose his spot when the team condenses its rotation as the postseason approaches. Including his recent relief outing, Cortes has pitched well enough to maintain his rotation spot, as he'll head into Thursday's start with a 1.86 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in 29 innings over his past five appearances.
