Cortes set for work off mound
OAKLAND, Calif. — Nestor Cortes is nearing a return to the mound for the Yankees, who have increasing confidence a cortisone injection will be enough to cure his shoulder issue.
The left-hander is set to throw a bullpen session on Friday or Saturday in St. Louis, which will be his first since he was shut down with a rotator cuff strain in the first week of June.
“Everything feels really good,” Cortes said Tuesday after a light day of throwing. “I feel like I’ve about turned the corner from feeling like ‘Ehh’ to now feeling great.”
Cortes has stretched out to throwing from 105 feet and will continue to build up his volume this week before getting on the mound. If he continues to progress as hoped, he could be in line to return to the Yankees by mid-to-late July.
“I think once I took the cortisone shot, I had to wait a few days to throw,” Cortes said. “I wouldn’t say, ‘Ehh,’ but the first day I threw, I was kind of scared of, ‘Is it still going to hurt? Is it not going to hurt? How’s it going to feel?’ Then I had an off day the next day and I was like, ‘Oh, my arm’s not sore at all.’ Obviously I didn’t make tremendous throws and the volume wasn’t that great. After I started the two-day, back-toback throwing, it felt a lot better.”
➤ After three games on the bench, Josh Donaldson returned to the Yankees’ lineup for their 2-1 loss to the Athletics on Tuesday night.
The struggling veteran hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, but went 0-for-3 otherwise, including a strikeout looking in the ninth inning after Gleyber Torres had singled leading off.
➤ Carlos Rodon is set to make his third, and likely final, rehab start on Saturday with an affiliate to be determined. If that outing goes according to plan, the left-hander would be in line to make his Yankees debut on July 7 in The Bronx against the Cubs.
➤ Ian Hamilton is expected to be activated off the injured list on Wednesday after recovering from a groin strain that he suffered in May.
The Yankees could open a roster spot by optioning Jhony Brito, who started Tuesday and allowed two earned runs in 5 2/₃ innings, then filling his rotation spot on Sunday with Randy Vasquez before Rodon makes his anticipated return.