New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that pitcher Nestor Cortes is throwing live to hitters on Wednesday, and that entails 10-15 pitches, according to Greg Joyce of the New York Post.

If things go well, Nestor Cortes could face hitters again this upcoming weekend, and he remains in play to make the World Series roster if the Yankees advance to that point, according to Joyce. Boone added that Cortes is a “realistic option” for a potential World Series roster, according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN.

That would be a big development for the Yankees, as Cortes was one of the better starting pitchers they had this season. He was reliable and threw the most innings for the team. It is unknown whether or not the Yankees would slot Cortes back into the rotation in the World Series, but he could still be a huge piece out of the bullpen as a left-handed pitcher.

Yankees looking to reach 1st World Series since 2009

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The Yankees will try to advance to the World Series for the first time since 2009 with two more wins over the Cleveland Guardians. They lead the series 2-0 after two wins over the Guardians at home in the first two games of the series. It will be interesting to see if New York can close it out in the upcoming games as the series shifts to Cleveland.

In Game 3, the Yankees will turn to Clarke Schmidt, who turned in a decent outing in Game 3 against the Kansas City Royals. He will face Matthew Boyd, who has started multiple games, but not gone deep during his starts this postseason. Luis Gil will make his first career playoff start in Game 4 of the series. The Yankees hope that will be a potential clinching game.

If the Yankees advance to the World Series, Cortes potentially could replace Schmidt or Gil as a starter for a game, moving one of them to the bullpen. That will be something to keep an eye on if the Yankees win the ALCS.