15-Day IL
Injury Biceps
Est. Return 10/2/2025
2025 Stats
W-L
2-4
ERA
6.29
WHIP
1.63
K
29
SV
0
Rest-of-Season Projections
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Cortes put the shoulder trouble he experienced during the 2023 season behind him in 2024, making 31 appearances (30 starts) while throwing a career-high 174.1 innings. He was pitching his best ball of the season down the stretch with a 1.58 ERA and 38:10 K:BB across 40 frames covering his final seven outings. Injury struck again at that point, this time in the form of a flexor strain. Cortes was able to return as a reliever for the World Series, but health concerns will follow him during the offseason and into spring training, especially since flexor strains can sometimes be a precursor to Tommy John surgery. If the southpaw looks good and healthy during Cactus League play after coming over to the Brewers in the Devin Williams trade, his draft stock will tick up. Read Past Outlooks

Slated for another sim game
Cortes (biceps) will toss another sim game early in the coming week, per MLB.com.
Analysis
Cortes' most recent sim game, which took place Friday, lasted two innings and went well, according to Padres manager Mike Shildt. The team nonetheless wants the veteran lefty to throw to hitters one more time before potentially returning to the big-league club. That would still give Cortes a chance of being activated from the IL before the end of the regular season, though that likely wouldn't happen until near the end of the coming week.
Cortes' most recent sim game, which took place Friday, lasted two innings and went well, according to Padres manager Mike Shildt. The team nonetheless wants the veteran lefty to throw to hitters one more time before potentially returning to the big-league club. That would still give Cortes a chance of being activated from the IL before the end of the regular season, though that likely wouldn't happen until near the end of the coming week.
Pitching Stats
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2025 MLB Game Log
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
Minor League Game Log
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Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
75
Last 10 Games
75
Last 5 Games
75
How many pitches does Nestor Cortes generally throw?
1-10
11-20
21-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
61-70
71-80
81-90
91-100
101-110
111-120
121+
What part of the game does Nestor Cortes generally pitch?
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2023
-10%
BAA vs LHP
2025
-45%
BAA vs RHP
BAA | K | BB | H | HR | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2023vs Left | .227 | 64 | 14 | 50 | 10 | |||
Since 2023vs Right | .253 | 194 | 65 | 207 | 38 | |||
2025vs Left | .400 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 6 | |||
2025vs Right | .222 | 21 | 17 | 22 | 7 | |||
2024vs Left | .204 | 42 | 9 | 29 | 2 | |||
2024vs Right | .256 | 120 | 30 | 133 | 22 | |||
2023vs Left | .163 | 14 | 2 | 7 | 2 | |||
2023vs Right | .261 | 53 | 18 | 52 | 9 | |||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2023
-29%
ERA at Home
2025
-49%
ERA at Home
ERA | WHIP | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2023Home | 3.67 | 1.08 | 147.0 | 8.3 | 2.0 | ||||
Since 2023Away | 5.18 | 1.42 | 125.0 | 8.8 | 3.4 | ||||
2025Home | 4.50 | 1.25 | 20.0 | 7.2 | 4.1 | ||||
2025Away | 8.79 | 2.16 | 14.1 | 8.2 | 6.9 | ||||
2024Home | 3.11 | 1.00 | 89.2 | 8.3 | 1.4 | ||||
2024Away | 4.46 | 1.31 | 84.2 | 8.4 | 2.7 | ||||
2023Home | 4.58 | 1.18 | 37.1 | 8.9 | 2.2 | ||||
2023Away | 5.54 | 1.35 | 26.0 | 10.4 | 3.8 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Stat Review
How does Nestor Cortes compare to other starting pitchers?
This section compares his stats with all starting pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 120 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 120 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 120 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
K/BB
1.45K/9
7.6BB/9
5.2HR/9
3.4Fastball
90.2 mphERA
6.29WHIP
1.63BABIP
.253GB/FB
0.71Left On Base
84.7%Exit Velocity
83.9 mphBarrels/BBE
7.8%Spin Rate
2223 rpmBalls Hit 95+ MPH
30.1%Swinging Strike
9.7%Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2024
2023
2022
The crafty lefty cemented his spot in the Yankees' starting rotation in 2022 with a 2.44 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 163:38 K:BB across 158.1 innings, but he made just 12 starts in 2023 due to a rotator cuff strain. Cortes also struggled when available last season and finished with a 4.97 ERA over 63.1 innings to go along with a 1.6 HR/9 and a career-worst 40.1 percent hard-hit rate. A 3.71 xERA indicates some unfortunate results, while a 4.84 xFIP paints a less favorable underlying picture. Cortes' reliance on different arm angles and deliveries leaves less margin for error on his pitches, especially since his stuff doesn't really stand out. It also makes him more difficult to evaluate, as the numbers themselves tell less of a story than with most pitchers. A positive regression seems likely in 2024, but Cortes' lack of year-to-year track record leaves some risk coming off a poor campaign.
More Fantasy News

Set to face hitters this weekend
Cortes (biceps) is scheduled to face live hitters Friday at the Padres' facility in Arizona, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Analysis
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Resumes mound work
Cortes (biceps) was cleared to throw off a mound Saturday, MLB.com reports.
Analysis
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Shelved with biceps injury
The Padres placed Cortes (biceps) on the 15-day injured list Friday.
Analysis
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Headed for injured list
The Padres will place Cortes on the injured list due to left biceps tendinitis, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Analysis
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Gives up four homers
Cortes (2-4) took the loss Wednesday against the Orioles, allowing six runs on seven hits and three walks across 2.1 innings. He struck out two.
Analysis
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Latest Fantasy Rumors

Being dangled in trade talks
Cortes' name is "definitely out there" in trade talks, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Analysis
Cortes was mentioned previously as a potential target for the Cardinals in a deal that would send Tommy Edman to the Yankees. While Heyman wasn't able to confirm that connection, it does appear the Yankees are willing to trade the left-hander. Cortes has faltered of late in allowing 15 runs over his last three starts, but he's had a solid 2024 season on the whole in posting a 4.13 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 116:26 K:BB in 124.1 innings covering 22 starts. The 29-year-old is making $3.95 million this season and has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining.
Cortes was mentioned previously as a potential target for the Cardinals in a deal that would send Tommy Edman to the Yankees. While Heyman wasn't able to confirm that connection, it does appear the Yankees are willing to trade the left-hander. Cortes has faltered of late in allowing 15 runs over his last three starts, but he's had a solid 2024 season on the whole in posting a 4.13 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 116:26 K:BB in 124.1 innings covering 22 starts. The 29-year-old is making $3.95 million this season and has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining.