Since we are pretty sure that most MLB and, particularly, New York Yankees fans missed watching Nestor Cortes pitch, we are here to tell you that he is pretty much over his hamstring injury and looks set to take part in exhibition games.
He is almost a lock to be ready for Opening Day, but we will have to see him pitch in spring training first, and so do the Yankees before declaring him officially out of the woods.
Still, Cortes has been keeping his arm busy and in form.
Yankees insider Bryan Hoch posted a video in which the southpaw is seen throwing from a mound, with some of his funky looks and deliveries.
A few funky looks from #nastynestor pic.twitter.com/IeRGu0zl2j
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) March 8, 2023
A guy like Cortes might sound like the poster boy for pitch clock violations due to his ever-changing deliveries and windups.
However, as Peter Brody of Pinstripe Alley recently explained, the vast majority of his deliveries are perfectly legal.
Cortes messes with the hitter’s timing in a variety of ways.
Sometimes he repeatedly taps his rear foot before initiating the actual windup; he also goes to a sidearm delivery on occasion or he introduces a hesitation after his leg kick.
All three moves are perfectly legal.
Where Cortes might be flagged for a violation is in the quick pitch.
Pitchers will be required to be completely set before attempting a pitch, and the left-hander often tries catching the hitter off guard without this being the case.
For the most part, he will be completely fine with the clock.
He will try to build upon a fantastic season in which he had a 2.44 ERA in 158.1 frames with the Yanks.
NEXT: Photo Shows Aaron Judge Taking Some Powerful BP
