The Yankees had several options when it came to clearing roster space for Friday night’s anticipated return of Aaron Judge, but in the end they did what most expected — optioning Thursday night’s winning pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after their 10-6 win over the Astros.
Cortes pitched three innings in relief of opener Chad Greene, giving up three hits and two runs and earning the win. His demotion leaves the Yankees with a 12-man pitching staff, which is risky considering how much they rely on their bullpen.
One other option would have been to drop outfielder Cameron Maybin, who was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored in Thursday’s win.