Nestor Cortes Jr. had thrown three innings in the New York Yankees’ 17-13 win over the Boston Red Sox in London.
The New York Yankees optioned left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The team announced the move after their 17-13 win over the Boston Red Sox in London. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com later reported that fellow pitcher Chance Adams will take his spot.
Following tonight’s game, the Yankees optioned Nestor Cortes Jr to @swbrailriders.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 29, 2019
The Yankees have optioned Nestor Cortes Jr. to @swbrailriders. Chance Adams is with the team as an extra player and can be added to the roster tomorrow.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) June 29, 2019
Cortes threw three innings on a day where the Yankees were forced to eat into their bullpen after Boston torched starter Masahiro Tanaka for six runs over two-thirds of the first inning. The reliever allowed five runs on five hits and struck out three. He was credited with the first hold of his career. Cortes is 3-0 with a 5.22 ERA in seven appearances (29.1 innings) this season.
Adams last pitched for the Yankees on June 3 against the Mets. He would go 4.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) and striking out three in a 10-4 loss. He previously earned the first save of his career after going three shutout frames in a 13-5 win over Tampa Bay on May 19. He followed that up with his first win by going four innings in a 6-5 win in Kansas City six days later.
Adams had traveled with the team for MLB’s inaugural London Series as an extra player. He has a 4-1 mark with a 3.78 ERA with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Tanaka’s short outing taxed the Yankees’ bullpen, as they needed seven relievers to cover the final 25 outs. The parade began with Chad Green, who was expected to start the second half of the London Series on Sunday (10:00 a.m. ET, ESPN) as an opener. Green went two shutout innings, throwing 44 pitches. Stephen Tarpley will now fulfill that role, going up against Boston’s Eduardo Rodriguez.
Adams will likely come in to eat some innings at some point on Sunday. He previously fulfilled that role in the win over the Royals, taking over for Green in the second inning. In his four frames, Adams allowed three runs (two in his last inning) and struck out three.
