3:16pm: Cortes told reporters (including ) today that hell be shut down for seven to ten days and will likely get a platelet Wilt Chamberlain Jersey -rich plasma injection in his ailing elbow. Neither Cortes nor Boone ruled out the po sibility of the lefty returning at some point in the playoffs if the Yankees can make a deep enough run, but Cortes noted that the results of his MRI are being sent to doctors Neal ElAttrache and Keith Meister for additional opinions. was among those to relay that while Boone told reporters that the club wasnt ruling out a return for Cortes during the postseason, he shied away from describing the club as optimistic about Cortess prospects of pitching in the playoffs this year until Cortess shutdown period has come to a close and they really see what were dealing with. 1:30pm: The Yankees announced that Cortes has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a flexor strain in his left elbow. Stroman will start tonights game in his place, and Poteet has been recalled from Triple-A to take Cortes spot on the roster. The injury will eliminate Cortes as a consideration for the beginning of the American League Division Series at the very least, though flexor strains are rarely short-term injuries. Its fair to wonder whether Cortes will be an option for the Yankees at any point in the postseason. Manager Aaron Boone will likely provide more detail when he next meets with the media. 9:25am: The Yankees have punched their ticket to the postseason but are facing a potentially worrisome injury scenario, as lefty who had been slated to start tonights game against the Orioles is undergoing an MRI to evaluate his left elbow, by Jack Curry of the YES Network. A suming that takes him out of consideration to take the mound, the Yanks could go with (who recently moved to the pen) or call up an arm from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Right-handers , and are all on the 40-man roster and all fresh. Poteet has pitched the most big league innings of that trio this season (21) and had the most succe s as well (2.14 ERA). Curry that Poteet is headed to the Bronx, suggesting hell get the nod, though theres no official word from the team just yet. Cortes, 29, has pitched a career-high 174 1/3 innings in the majors this season and been quite effective along the way. Hes started 30 games (also a career-high) and notched a 3.77 earned run average while fanning a solid 22.8% of his opponents against a terrific 5.5% walk rate. Though hes a pronounced fly-ball pitcher (31.1% grounder rate), Cortes has scaled back on some of the home run troubles that have plagued him in his career; he entered the season having averaged 1.49 round-trippers per nine innings pitched but has scaled that back to a more palatable (but still higher than average) 1.24 mark in 2024. Its not clear that Cortes would be a part of the Yankees postseason rotation, but hed certainly play a key role in the bullpen even if the team opted to go with , and one of or in the top three spots. (Cole and Rodon are locks, health permitting.) Cortes is no stranger to working in relief. Hes primarily been a starter in recent seasons but has neverthele s seen 37% of his career appearances come in a relief setting. The Yankees have a pair of veteran left-handed options in the pen regardle s, with and both on the roster, but neither can mi s bats at the same level as Cortes. Mayza also carries alarming platoon splits, making him more ideal for strict left-on-left matchups. Cortes would also be an obvious option to give manager some length out of the bullpen in the event of a short start during postseason play. All of those scenarios are now on hold as the Yankees await word on Cortes apparently ailing elbow. Taking a step back to look at the bigger picture for Cortes himself, a serious injury would be about as poorly timed as po sible (not that theres ever a good time for a major health setback). Hes headed into his final offseason of arbitration eligibility and due a raise on this years $3.95MM salary. An injury that threatens a significant portion of his 2025 season could leave Cortes as a non-tender candidate, given that hes slated to become a free agent following the 2025 season. And, if there is something at play that impacts his 2025 availability, thatd obviously cut short what should be his platform season in advance of free agency, where hed stand as a clear candidate for a multi-year deal with good health. Nico Mannion Jersey