The Philadelphia Phillies made a great move recently , signing veteran pitcher Nestor Cortes to a Major League contract.
However, some fans likely got nervous when he was optioned immediately to Single-A Clearwater and was subsequently placed on the injured list, as shared by Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic (subscription required). However, it was actually a shrewd transaction by the team that will help Cortes.
Because he still needs time to ramp up his readiness for the Big Leagues, placing him on the injured list is an administrative designation to help in that regard. Now he can build up and eventually open a 30-day rehab window to prepare him for the stretch run of the Major League season.
Cortes underwent surgery last year to repair a tear in his left bicep. Before the injury, he was pitching for the San Diego Padres , but with little success. Through six starts, he had a 5.47 ERA across 26.1 innings pitched.
Sep 3, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nestor Cortes (65) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Padres had acquired him in a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers , where he also struggled to stay healthy or produce. He made only two starts with the Brewers after being acquired in an offseason trade from the New York Yankees and gave up eight earned runs in only seven innings of work.
Opponents were teeing off on Cortes, with five of his seven hits allowed being home runs. He also issued seven walks, as he couldn't keep players off the basepaths. His -0.3 bWAR combined between Milwaukee and San Diego was a far cry from what he accomplished over the previous four seasons with the Yankees.
An All-Star in 2022, Cortes made 93 appearances over that four-year stretch, including 84 starts, with a 3.33 ERA and 1.076 WHIP across 489 innings. He had 495 strikeouts and 122 walks to go along with an ERA+ of 123 and a FIP of 3.68.
Aug 23, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nestor Cortes (65) delivers during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
That culminated in 10.0 bWAR. The Phillies are certainly hoping that is the form the veteran lefty can regain, providing depth on the pitching staff, whether it is as a member of the starting rotation or the bullpen .
Cortes has experience doing both and will be a good weapon for interim manager Don Mattingly to deploy down the stretch. The performances of the left-handed pitchers on the relief pitching staff have been inconsistent, so having another experienced option can only help.
He certainly looks to be more of a luxury now with the back-end rotation duo of Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter performing at a much higher level.
Sign up for our free newsletter to receive the latest news and updates!
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/phillies/onsi as Phillies Make Smart Move To Help Nestor Cortes Get Ready for Debut .
