Yankees’ Left-Hander ‘Upset’ Over Shock Demotion to Bullpen, Reluctantly Accepts New Role—But Only Under This Condition

Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes admitted he was “upset” about being used as a reliever against the Cubs, expressing surprise at his demotion from the starting rotation but stating he’d accept the new role if it became permanent.

Cortes, a 2022 All-Star who has been a starter since mid-2021, pitched 4⅓ no-hit innings in relief on Saturday at Wrigley Field, combining with Clarke Schmidt for a four-hit shutout in the Yankees’ 2-0 win.

After the game, Cortes, who called himself the “workhorse” of the Yankees’ rotation, didn’t hold back. He referenced his role as the Opening Day starter when Gerrit Cole was out with an elbow injury earlier this season.

“Obviously, I was upset,” Cortes said. “I felt like I’ve been the workhorse among the starters. When Cole went down, they picked me for Opening Day, and now they do this.”

This was Cortes’ first relief outing since July 2021. He lowered his ERA to 3.97 and leads the Yankees with 163⅓ innings this season. He threw 48 pitches, walked one, and struck out three.

“I’m never going to back down from a challenge,” Cortes said. “No matter how I feel, my teammates will always get my best effort. I proved today I can perform in any role, and if this is my new one, I’ll accept it.”

Although scheduled to start one of the Yankees’ games next weekend against the Red Sox, Cortes’ future in the rotation remains uncertain, as New York is set to revert to a five-man rotation.

Cortes, 29, struggled in his last start, allowing five runs in four innings against the Cardinals, though he was excellent in the three previous starts, giving up just one run and striking out 18 in 20⅔ innings.

Aaron Boone Had Some Praise For Cortes

Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Cortes for his bullpen performance, calling it “a testament to being a professional.”

“I’m sure he wasn’t thrilled about it, but he excelled,” Boone said.

With Schmidt and Luis Gil returning from the injured list to join a rotation featuring Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Marcus Stroman, Cortes could be the odd man out.

“I don’t know what’s next,” Cortes said. “This caught me by surprise, so we’ll see. I’m scheduled to start against Boston, but with a six-man rotation and off days, I don’t think that’s the best move.”