Key New York Yankees Pitcher Delivers Harsh Comments on How Team is Using Him

The Yankees won and threw a shutout on Saturday, but left-hander Nestor Cortes was not happy after the fact.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Nestor Cortes (65) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the eight inning at Wrigley Field on Sept 7. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees threw a shutout on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, their second in as many days. With the win, the Yankees are now 82-60. They lead the Baltimore Orioles by 0.5 games in the American League East and are looking to capture the division title.

You would things were all good in the Bronx, but evidently they are not. Left-hander Nestor Cortes threw 4.1 innings in relief of Clarke Schmidt to earn the win, giving up no hits. Cortes is now 9-10 this season with a 3.97 ERA, but he was none too pleased about coming out of the bullpen, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com:

Nestor Cortes was not pleased with being moved to the bullpen this turn through.

“Obviously, I was upset. I feel like amongst all the starters, I’ve been the workhorse here,” Cortes said. “Once [Gerrit] Cole went down, they picked me to be the Opening Day starter; not necessarily the No. 1, but the Opening Day starter. I had to switch my routine there, and now they do this.

“I’m never going to back down from a challenge, I’m never going to leave my teammates out to dry. You’re always going to get my best effort, no matter if I’m happy or not. That’s what I did today. I just came out there and proved that I can be put in any situation, and from here on out, if that’s what’s my role, then I’ll accept it.”

Nestor Cortes was not pleased with being moved to the bullpen this turn through.

“Obviously, I was upset. I feel like amongst all the starters, I’ve been the workhorse here,” Cortes said. “Once [Gerrit] Cole went down, they picked me to be the Opening Day starter; not…

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) September 7, 2024

On one hand, you love the competitive fire and this is clearly a motivator for Cortes - and it worked on Saturday. On the other hand, it comes off as awfully selfish for a team with big goals this season.

Cortes is right, though: He has been a workhorse since coming to the Yankees. The 29-year-old has gone 33-20 since arriving in New York in 2021, pitching to a 3.67 ERA. He's thrown a career-high 163.1 innings this year as well. He won 12 games back in 2022 and made the American League All-Star team.

The Yankees will finish out the series with the Cubs on Sunday at 2:20 p.m. ET.

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.