A new report offered some very good injury news for the New York Yankees ahead of a potential return to the World Series next week.
The Yankees head into tonight’s Game 3 of the ALCS on a serious role. They have won four straight playoff games, including a 6-3 victory on Tuesday that extended their series lead over the Cleveland Guardians to 2-0. The team has been on a hot streak and fans are already thinking about the World Series.
If they can close out the series, as many expect, they would move on to a championship series against either the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers or in-city rivals the New York Mets. Either matchup would be challenging and any extra help the pinstripes can get would be beneficial.
Well, that may be on the way according to New York Yankees skipper Aaron Boone.
Nestor Cortes getting closer to a New York Yankees return for World Series
“He’ll probably have another live [hitters session] this weekend. So he could potentially have two or three lives,” Boone said about injured starting pitcher Nestor Cortes. “If we were to get through this series, it would potentially set him up to have a good body of work under him to potentially be an option if we’re able to get to those series.”
The 29-year-old has missed the last month due to a flexor strain in his throwing elbow. After battling injuries for much of 2023, the one-time All-Star had a good season this year as he finished second on the team in innings pitched (174.1), quality starts (13), and wins above replacement (2.6).
Cortes would likely slot back into the starting rotation in an eventual seven-game World Series against the Dodgers or Mets.
Related: New York Yankees could see major lineup change for ALCS Game 3 against Cleveland Guardians