Throughout the playoffs and for much of the regular season, the Yankees lacked a reliever whose primary goal was to get strikeouts. Cortes fits that bill, and as a lefty, he could prove to be the Yankees’ best threat against Ohtani, the likely National League MVP after hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases as a designated hitter.

Nestor Cortes last pitched in an MLB game on Sept. 18, due to a flexor strain, but he anticipates being added to the Yankees' World Series roster.

Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes expects to be on the team's World Series roster despite the risk of pitching with a strained flexor tendon, an injury that is often the precursor to a more serious elbow injury.