The New York Yankees will have a new Opening Day starter this season.
Gerrit Cole has been the Yankees’ no-doubt ace since signing with the team prior to the 2020 season. But Cole dealt with elbow problems during spring training and will miss one to two months. The injury to Cole opened up the door for a new Opening Day starter, which will be Nestor Cortes.
The Yankees revealed on Friday that Cortes will get the start when the team opens up the season at Houston on March 28.
Cortes said he was “excited” when told of the news. The southpaw said he was prepared for the role.
“I feel like I could be the guy to go out there and show everybody that I can be the guy,” Cortes said.
The choice of Cortes was a natural one.
Cortes went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 2022 and made his first All-Star team. He pitched like a high-end starter both that year and in 2021.
Last year, Cortes was limited to 12 starts by a shoulder issue. He had a 4.97 ERA in what was a down season.
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