Nestor after debut: ‘I’m pretty happy where I’m at right now’
DUNEDIN, Fla. — Nestor Cortes opted in opposition to busting out any of his trademark hesitations or befuddling arm angles in his spring debut, trying to discover his personal degree of consolation. But worry not: the ‘Nasty Nestor’ funk is coming quickly.
Confined to dwell batting-practice periods for many of the exhibition slate whereas recovering from a proper hamstring pressure, Cortes was hit exhausting by the Blue Jays on Saturday at TD Ballpark, allowing 5 runs in 3 1/3 innings. But the lefty was happy to exit the Yankees’ 5-2 loss feeling sturdy, giving him a base to construct upon over the subsequent two weeks.
“With my first outing, as long as I get out of there healthy and feeling good about myself, that was the most important thing for me,” Cortes stated.
It was additionally Cortes’ first sport expertise with the pitch timer, although he labored with it throughout his earlier periods at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., and stated he felt “comfortable.” The Yankees’ pitchers just lately mentioned the timer within the clubhouse, with Cortes’ herky-jerky hesitations arising in dialog.
“As soon as I start my windup, the clock should stop, and I should be able to do what I want,” Cortes stated. “I’m pretty sure I’ll test that out in the next start, do some of the weird stuff, see if that’s OK.”
The timer might immediate Cortes to make a faster determination to flex his creativity, although he usually was among the many Majors’ fastest-working pitchers earlier than the rule change.
Generally talking, Cortes decides how you can throw the subsequent pitch between receiving the ball from the catcher and setting foot on the rubber, based mostly largely upon the hitters’ reactions and a way of the sport scenario.
“Once [the catcher] is calling the pitches, I have a good idea of what I want to do,” Cortes stated. “And I think about all my stuff when I’m pumping my leg that’s going to drive. So once I start my movement, everything is improvised right there and then. I don’t think it should be a problem.”
The 28-year-old Cortes is absolutely recovered from the hamstring pressure he sustained in early February and will start the season because the Yankees’ fourth starter, based on supervisor Aaron Boone. Cortes is a couple of week behind the opposite hurlers by way of preparation and stamina.
“All in all, I thought it was a pretty good day,” Boone stated. “He completed up fairly nicely, and we obtained his workload to the place we needed. I feel his stuff appears to be like good.”
Though it was not essentially by design, Saturday’s outing allowed Cortes to check his mettle in opposition to a Toronto lineup that regarded very similar to one he’ll face throughout the common season. Boone stated he would have most popular a softer opponent, however “we needed to get him out there.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. pounced on a dangling slider to launch a solo homer within the first inning, and Whit Merrifield belted a cutter for a two-run homer within the second inning.
Cortes permitted walks to 2 of the three hitters he confronted within the fourth inning, and each runners scored in opposition to reliever Michael King. Cortes walked three and struck out 4, throwing 35 of 52 pitches for strikes.
“That pitch to Merrifield was supposed to be in, and then Vladdy jumped on a slider,” Cortes stated. “Other than that, there was possibly one hard-hit ball. I’m fairly glad the place I’m at proper now.”
