Yankees place Nestor Cortes on 15-day IL; Marcus Stroman to start on Wednesday

Nestor Cortes, Wednesday’s scheduled starter for the Yankees as they continue their series against the Baltimore Orioles, has been placed on the 15-day IL with a left elbow flexor strain.

Right-hander Cody Poteet has been recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Marcus Stroman will start in Cortes’ place on Wednesday night.

Cortes has been a valuable piece for the Yanks this season, starting 30 games while pitching to a 3.77 ERA with 162 strikeouts in 174.1 innings.

He also made one relief appearance on Sept. 9, picking up a win as he threw 4.1 shutout innings in a 2-0 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Cortes, if healthy, likely slots in as the Yankees’ fourth starter for the playoffs, behind Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Luis Gil. Cortes could also be used as a reliever to piggyback with someone like Gil, Stroman, or Clarke Schmidt.