In his time with the New York Yankees , Nestor Cortes grew into a beloved pitcher.
He was a crafty left-hander with a cool mustache and a variety of pitching windups and pitches in his arsenal.
In a lot of ways, he was very different from most modern pitchers, and that made Cortes just a little bit cooler.
He no longer pitches for the Yankees, but he's trying to make an impact down the stretch of the MLB season anyway — just in the NL East instead of the AL East.
The Phillies determined on Saturday that Cortes would be promoted from Single-A Clearwater to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The season for Clearwater ended this week, so it was a logical move — and it signaled that the Phillies want Cortes to keep pitching in the hopes that he could prove helpful to them at the MLB level this season.
Cortes only signed with Philadelphia in mid-August. He wasn't on a contract this season until then as he worked his way back from left biceps tendon surgery.
The Phillies also added Cortes to the 40-man roster at the time of his signing, meaning that he'll be eligible for the playoff roster if the Phillies choose to use him in such a way.
Cortes has had a bumpy injury history that has derailed the recent portion of his career, and so just from a positive vibes standpoint, it's good to see him on the mound.
But despite his fun pitching style, Cortes was always a massive competitor, and so he didn't work his way back from all his recent injuries just to hang out in the minor leagues. He loves baseball, but you also know he'd much rather be in MLB helping chase a pennant for the Phillies.
The 2022 All Star struggled in 2025 with a 6.29 ERA across eight starts between the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres .
The Phillies first sent him to Single-A to begin tuning up for a potential late rise to the majors this season.
Cortes didn't actually get into a game with Clearwater, though. The assignment there was more about the fact that the Phillies' Spring Training complex is there, so Cortes could work his arm into shape.
He's now at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and he made his first appearance this weekend. Cortes went 1.0 inning, allowing one hit and one run while striking out a single hitter. He earned the save.
Given the late status of the season, and the fact that Cortes just made a single-inning outing, it appears he's lined up for a bullpen role if he does get to the Phillies for the playoffs.
Cortes, as a crafty lefty, is certainly suited to be useful out of the bullpen — if his stuff can still get hitters out. That's the big question, and Philadelphia will be watching to see the answer.
From afar, Yankees fans may pay attention too, because Cortes was definitely a fan favorite when he played in the Bronx.
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