Cortes willing to risk injury, miss next year to help Yankees win World Series
New York Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes is willing to put his health on the line to help his team win the World Series.
"The conversations have been really clear throughout the whole postseason," Cortes said, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "We have weighed the consequences that this can lead up to, but if I have a ring and then a year off of baseball, then so be it."
The 29-year-old hasn't pitched since Sept. 18 because of a flexor strain in his elbow. He's expected to make the World Series roster after he tossed 28 pitches during a simulated game at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.
Further damage to his elbow could lead to a surgical procedure such as Tommy John.
Cortes could provide manager Aaron Boone with a bullpen option against the Los Angeles Dodgers' left-handed hitting trio of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Max Muncy.
"Coming out of the bullpen, I'll be restricted to throwing 20 to 30 pitches, so they're not going to bring me in to face three righties," Cortes said. "I know those are the guys I'm going to face. It's a tough task, but I know I'm able to do it."
Cortes pitched 174 1/3 innings for the Yankees in the regular season, authoring a 3.77 ERA and 1.15 FIP.