With Gerrit Cole injured, the New York Yankees have yet to announce their 2024 Opening Day starter. Manager Aaron Boone recently said that Carlos Rodon will likely start the second game of the season, while Marcus Stroman said he will not start Opening Day either. So what about Nestor Cortes?
“Nestor Cortes said he hasn’t been told if he is starting Opening Day. After today’s sim game, he is scheduled to throw again on March 21. That would give him extra rest leading into the opener. ‘The more rest, the better,' he said,” Bryce Hoch of MLB.com wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Yankees and the other pitchers don't want to change their schedules. If Cortes doesn't take the ball to begin the season, either Clarke Schmidt would start or the Yankees would utilize a bullpen game.
Harold Reynolds of MLB Network thinks “Nasty Nestor” (Nestor Cortes) should get the start amid Cole's injury.
“I got Nasty Nestor,” Reynolds said. “That's my pick.”
According to MLB Network, Cortes would be the first pitcher who was drafted and signed by the Yankees to start Opening Day for the team since Andy Pettitte in 1990.
Will Nestor Cortes start Opening Day for the Yankees?
Cortes, 29, was terrific in 2022 and was selected to the American League All-Star team. The crafty left-hander pitched to a spectacular 2.44 ERA and 0.922 WHIP during the '22 campaign, ultimately finishing eighth in AL Cy Young voting.
His 2023 season was defined by inconsistency and injuries. He appeared in only 12 games, and recorded a 4.97 ERA during that span. Of course, finding consistency is difficult when battling injury concerns.
Cortes is unquestionably a bounce back candidate. Perhaps earning the Opening Day nod would spark a tremendous 2024 performance for the Yankees veteran.
Regardless of who draws the start, New York's entire pitching rotation will need to step up while Cole is out. The Yankees ace is expected to return by June, so it will be intriguing to see how New York's pitching staff performs throughout the first two months of the new campaign.
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