The New York Yankees got some tough news this afternoon when it was learned that staff ace Nestor Cortes would be landing on the injured list with a groin issue.
Cortes is 9-4 with a 2.68 ERA this season.
To replace the 27-year-old lefty, the Yankees called up righty reliever Greg Weissert.
It’s not known for sure what the Yankees will ultimately do with Cortes out, but the good thing is, they have options, and one of those options is with the ballclub right now.
Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated mentioned on Twitter that they could fill the hole left by Cortes with young right-hander Clarke Schmidt, who is 5-2 with a 2.18 ERA in 17 appearances this season.
With Nestor Cortes headed to the injured list (per @lindseyadler), the #Yankees can slot Clarke Schmidt into the starting rotation in his place.
Greg Weissert will join the bullpen from AAA as well, as first reported by @BarstoolHubbs.
— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) August 25, 2022
The Yankees Have Options
The Yankees are fortunate to have a guy like Schmidt they can slot into the rotation for the time being.
It’s a huge blow to lose Cortes for sure, but Schmidt can help soften that blow at a critical time for New York.
The Yankees right now are on a three-game winning streak, but have lost a chunk of their lead in the American League East thanks to the recent surge of the Toronto Blue Jays.
But it’s better to have an in-house option ready to go than to not have any way to plug the hole.
Schmidt could be a guy that simply gives the Yankees innings and can be used as an emergency starter if need be, similarly to how the St. Louis Cardinals have used Andre Pallante this season.
We’ll see how Schmidt responds to this challenge.
He’s had good numbers this season.
Now is his chance to prove himself and help the Yankees eat some innings.
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