The return of Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt to the New York Yankees’ active roster last weekend was a significant boost for the team. The two right-handed pitchers combined for 10.2 scoreless innings against the Chicago Cubs on Friday and Saturday.
To make room for the returning players, the Yankees had Nestor Cortes follow Schmidt on Saturday, with both pitchers going over four innings to keep their arms in shape.
Cortes, who has maintained a respectable 3.97 ERA over 163.1 innings, expressed his frustration about being moved to the bullpen for the weekend game. He openly stated that he was “upset,” pointing out that he had “been the workhorse here,” had to adjust his routine, and now felt sidelined by the decision.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t take issue with Cortes voicing his feelings, acknowledging that “clearly, he wants to be starting, and certainly there’s a case for that.” Boone confirmed that Cortes would be returning to the rotation.
However, this raises questions about how the Yankees will manage their rotation moving forward. Boone mentioned that Cortes would be back in the rotation, but it remains unclear if someone else will be skipped, used in relief, or if the team will adopt a six-man rotation in the coming weeks.
While the Yankees’ long-term rotation plans are still uncertain, we do know that Carlos Rodon and Marcus Stroman are scheduled to start on Monday and Tuesday.
