TAMPA — The days after Nestor Cortez goes out this spring will always be the most important.
So it will be interesting to see how the Yankees left-handed pitcher feels Tuesday and in the following days as he begins preparing for his next turn in the rotation.
But Cortez, who made his Grapefruit League debut on Monday, was in good shape as he continues to recover from two rotator cuff injuries last season.
“Everything is positive,” said Cortez, who threw 48 pitches in 2/3 innings in a 9-2 win over the Twins at Steinbrenner Field. “The pitch was really crisp. I threw it where I wanted to throw it. Most importantly, I got out of there healthy. That’s a big step forward.”
Last season, Cortez had trouble recovering between games, which contributed to his 4.97 ERA, and shoulder issues forced him to go on the disabled list twice.
He was sore immediately after pitching in the game and “could barely move” the next morning until undergoing soft tissue treatment.
But after moving his offseason training to the Yankees’ complex in Tampa in December to receive the best possible treatment and strengthening for his shoulder, Cortez is wondering how he’s rebounding from his outings so far this spring. I am encouraged by
“I’m pretty sure it’s behind me,” he said. “We were already past the stage, probably back in November and December, where you woke up and felt a little bit of pain and you were worried about where you were. But the work that we’ve done so far Considering that I was able to come to work early and have the help of the training staff, it was a real step forward. I haven’t had any problems in the past month, so I feel like things are going really well right now. Masu.”
On Monday, Cortez showed great life with his fastball, accounting for three of his four strikeouts. He ultimately allowed seven hits (at least one of which may have been ruled an error) and two runs, but his strength showed in his ability to bounce back.
“He’s been building some really good momentum here the last six to eight weeks,” manager Aaron Boone said. “His progress has been really good. I hope it continues like that.”
During Monday’s game, Yankees players Juan Soto and DJ LeMahieu were hit by balls that caused some harm, but both escaped injury.
Soto tried to catch a shallow fly ball to right field by diving, but his outstretched glove nearly rolled his right wrist.
He quickly appeared and reassured Boone a little, but he only seemed annoyed at himself for not catching the fish.
“I saw him flip his glove a little bit, so it can be a little scary for an outfielder,” Boone said.
Two innings later, LeMahieu tried to throw a chopper to third base, but the ball bounced so hard that it hit him in the face, trapping his sunglasses between his eyes.
He was treated by trainers and Boone, but competed in the match with only a few wounds.
Jason Dominguez began making strides in his hitting on Monday after returning from Tommy John surgery, taking 20 swings to the right off the tee.
