New York Yankees fans ecstatic as Nestor Cortes Jr. shuts down the Houston Astros in first start coming off IL: "That's just nasty Nestor for you"

On Saturday, August 5, New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. made his first start since May 30. The lefty was on the IL for two months dealing with a strained left rotator cuff.

He was magnificent on the mound, going four innings, giving up one hit, and striking out eight batters. The only run he gave up was a solo home run off the bat of Jose Altuve, which was his 200th career homer.

Nestor Cortes in his first start back from I.L against Astros: 4ip 1h 1bb 1r 8k’s by u/Wild_Cartographer924 in baseball

Cortes Jr. nearly had a perfect first inning. After walking Altuve, he struck out Jeremy Pena, Kyle Tucker, and Alex Bregman to end the inning. Cortes Jr. had good control over his pitches and consistently touched 94 mph with his fastball.

This is exactly what the Bronx Bombers need. Pitching has been particularly tough for the team this year. Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino have looked like shells of their former selves this season.

"That's just nasty Nestor for you. Elite at dropping that arm angle lmao. Was scared he had to face you guys the first game back," one fan posted.

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"He was lights out, glad to see him back strong (and we are lucky he was on a strict pitch count)," another fan wrote.

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New York Yankees fans could not be happier with Nestor Cortes Jr. and his performance on the mound on Saturday. He looked sharp and focused on building upon the great season he had in 2022.

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Nestor Cortes Jr. had the Houston Astros hitters off balance. He attacked hitters early and his breaking balls looked great.

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New York Yankees need more than just Nestor Cortes Jr. to turn this season around

Baltimore Orioles v New York Yankees

The New York Yankees currently sit in fourth place in the highly competitive American League East. They have a 58-53 record, 10.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles, who lead the division.

Much of New York's slump can be attributed to Aaron Judge's injury. He missed 55 games this season as he was sidelined with a torn ligament in his toe. During his absence, the team's offense disappeared.

Another reason the Yankees have struggled this season is the state of their rotation. While they have Gerrit Cole, who is having an excellent season, others are not. Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino have struggled and Domingo German was recently placed on the restricted list.

Unless things change soon, this will be a season most Yankees fans will want to forget.