Nestor Cortes DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Nestor Cortes (elbow) received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his injured left elbow, according to manager Pat Murphy. The Brewers placed Cortes on the injured list on Sunday due to a left-elbow strain, and there is no timetable for his return. At the very least, the 30-year-old southpaw will miss the rest of April. In his first start with the Brew Crew against his former team, the New York Yankees, Cortes had a nightmare outing, allowing eight earned runs on six hits (five homers allowed) while walking five and striking out two in just two innings of work. He rebounded with six shutout innings with six K's and a win in his second start against the Cincinnati Reds, though, before landing on the IL. For now, recent acquisition Quinn Priester will take Cortes' spot in Milwaukee's starting rotation.

The Milwaukee Brewers have placed starting pitcher Nestor Cortes (elbow) on the 15-day injured list due to a left elbow flexor strain. In a corresponding move, the team promoted left-handed pitcher Grant Wolfram from Triple-A Nashville. After a tough Milwaukee debut against his former club in the Bronx, the southpaw was able to bounce back in his second outing, tossing six shutout innings with just one hit and two walks. He struck out six. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, but this injury could keep Cortes sidelined for longer than the 15-day minimum. Cortes will join a long list of Milwaukee starting pitchers who are currently sidelined, such as Tobias Myers (oblique), Brandon Woodruff (shoulder), and Aaron Civale (hamstring). With Cortes hitting the IL, Chad Patrick and Elvin Rodriguez should continue to see opportunities in the starting rotation.

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Nestor Cortesturned in a quality start in a 1-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. Cortes tossed six shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six and walking two to earn his first win of the season. The veteran hurler evened his record at 1-1 after a rough season debut against the New York Yankees that saw him cough up eight runs in two innings. Cortes will look to stay in the win column in his next start.

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Nestor Cortes (elbow) was out from late September until the World Series with the New York Yankees this year, but he's had a "fully healthy offseason," according to general manager Matt Arnold. The Brewers did extensive work on Cortes' medicals before acquiring him from the Yankees this week as part of the deal that sent All-Star closer Devin Williams to the Bronx. Cortes had an MRI exam a couple weeks ago that cleared him to begin his offseason throwing program on schedule last week. The 30-year-old veteran dealt with a flexor strain in his left elbow, but he appears to be healthy now and should be ready for the start of the 2025 season, barring a setback. He threw a career-high 174 1/3 innings in 2024 and had an ERA under 2.00 in his last seven outings before getting hurt. In Milwaukee, he'll be a back-end rotation arm in fantasy that comes with injury concerns.

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired left-hander Nestor Cortes and second base prospect Caleb Durbin from the New York Yankees on Friday in exchange for right-handed reliever Devin Williams, according to sources. Cortes became expendable for the Yankees after they signed left-hander Max Fried this week to add to their starting rotation. Cortes dealt with some injuries in 2024 and finished the regular-season on the shelf due to a flexor strain, although he was able to make it back in a relief role during the World Series. When healthy, the 30-year-old veteran southpaw was solid on the mound in pinstripes last season, posting a 3.77 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 162 strikeouts and 39 walks in 174 1/3 innings in his fourth year with the team. Before his injury, he had a 1.58 ERA in his final seven appearances. The health of Cortes' elbow makes him a bit risky, but the move to Milwaukee should guarantee him a rotation spot if he's healthy.