Nestor Cortes lands on IL with elbow issue in Yankees’ playoff setback

Nestor Cortes wanted to believe that his recent elbow pain was just part of the normal wear and tear of the season.

Instead it may cost him a chance to pitch again this year.

The Yankees left-hander landed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday after an MRI exam revealed a left elbow flexor strain.

He said his UCL is fine, but the team is sending the imaging to noted surgeons Dr. Neal ElAttrache and Dr. Keith Meister for additional opinions on the flexor muscle.

At the very least, Cortes will be shut down for seven to 10 days and likely receive a PRP injection before reassessing his status.

Cortes is still holding out hope for returning at some point in October if the Yankees make a long playoff run, and manager Aaron Boone said the club was not yet ruling that out.

But time is not on his side and the Yankees cannot bank on him being an option, likely robbing them of having one of their best arms for the most important time of the year.

“It sucks,” Cortes said Wednesday afternoon after being scratched from his start against the Orioles, with Marcus Stroman filling in for him in a 9-7 loss at the Stadium. “It sucks that I’m in this position right now to where I can’t help the team. Obviously with what I dealt with last year [a rotator cuff strain] and how well I prepared this offseason to pitch this season and how well it’s been going for me the last five or six starts … I finally felt like things were clicking for me.”

Cortes had given up just one run over his past 15 ¹/₃ innings and had a 1.58 ERA over his last seven appearances.

The Yankees were still deciding how to best use him in the postseason, though it likely would have been as a valuable multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen.

But over the past few weeks — starting shortly before his Sept. 7 relief appearance against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, when he tossed 4 ¹/₃ no-hit innings — Cortes began feeling some “tenderness” in his elbow.

He initially thought it was something he could pitch through, which he did to strong results, before having trouble when he tried to throw a bullpen session on Sunday in Oakland.

After Monday’s team off day, Cortes tried throwing again on Tuesday in preparation for his scheduled start on Wednesday, but it did not get any better.

That’s when he decided to say something so that he wasn’t putting the Yankees in a bad position if he tried to start Wednesday and couldn’t go.

“Obviously 30 starts into the season, you’re not going to feel great,” Cortes said. “I thought it was one of those instances where I might get through it. Being a regular human being through the day, it doesn’t hurt at all. But to throw a baseball, that’s when it bothers [me].”

Cortes said he did not believe the injury was caused by switching roles to the bullpen for one turn through the rotation because he was already feeling something off before then.

Boone said he was not aware of the elbow issue when he temporarily moved Cortes to the bullpen.

Asked whether surgery might be needed, Cortes indicated he did not yet have enough information, as the first option will be to try rest and rehab.

At the very least, Cortes is likely out for the ALDS, as he wouldn’t be eligible to come off the IL until Game 2 and could only be added to the playoff roster for that series if he were replacing an injured player.

As it is, if he takes the full 10-day shutdown, the earliest he would begin throwing is Oct. 5, which is Game 1 of the ALDS.

“Definitely the mentality and way I’m going to go about it is trying to come back, whether it’s the [AL]DS, [AL]CS or World Series, depending on how far we go and how well I do with the rehab,” Cortes said. “Obviously my main focus is to come back and be able to help this team.”

Added Boone: “The next week to 10 days at least has to unfold and see what we’re dealing with and if there is any chance [of coming back].”