Although New York Yankees southpaw Nestor Cortes is not on the ALCS roster, his season may not be over. With the Yankees up 3-1 over the Cleveland Guardians in the series, “Nasty Nestor” could appear in the Fall Classic.

Cortes faced hitters in live batting practice ahead of Saturday night's Game 5 at Progressive Field and “is very much in play” for a potential World Series roster spot, via MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.

Cortes, who hasn't pitched since Sept. 18 due to a flexor strain (elbow), was 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP in 31 appearances during the regular season. The 29-year-old would be a valuable asset as a long reliever in the World Series, as he'd be another lefty option in a righty-dominated bullpen. New York's only southpaw relievers on the ALCS roster are Tim Hill and Tim Mayza.

The Yankees have yet to use a starting pitcher in relief this postseason, although Marcus Stroman is and has been available. The former New York Met could appear in Game 5 if Carlos Rodon gets shelled early.

Is Cortes a worthy World Series option?

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New York manager Aaron Boone considered Cortes as a replacement for the injured Ian Hamilton but would've felt “a little irresponsible” rushing him back, via The New York Daily News' Gary Phillips. Hamilton injured his left calf in Game 3 and was replaced by Mark Leiter Jr., who allowed one earned run in 1.2 innings on Friday.

A healthy Cortes, though, would be an upgrade over Stroman, who went 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 30 appearances this year. Stroman not only had weaker numbers than Cortes, but he's also a right-hander, which would make him a not-ideal matchup for the likes of lefty stars Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts on the Los Angeles Dodgers, should the Yankees face them in the World Series.

However, Stroman could keep his spot with a quality outing against Cleveland.