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NEW YORK — Nestor Cortes was slated to start Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles as the New York Yankees look to clinch the American League East title. Instead, the team put the left-hander on the 15-day injured list because of a “left elbow flexor strain” retroactive to Sunday after he underwent an MRI exam.

Cortes said he did not know the severity of the strain, but that the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow “looks good.” He said he would not throw for the next seven to 10 days and expected to receive a platelet-rich plasma injection as an attempt to accelerate healing.

Cortes said the imaging taken Wednesday would be sent to Dr. Neal ElAttrache and Dr. Keith Meister, two of the leading orthopedic surgeons for reconstructive elbow surgery, for second and third opinions.

Going on the injured list ensures Cortes will not be available for the start of the AL Division Series on Oct. 5, though his absence should extend longer than that. Though he shared hope he could return in 2024, manager Aaron Boone struck a different tone.

“I don’t know if [I’m] optimistic,” Boone said. “I mean, we’re not ruling it out yet. First things first, the next week to 10 days, at least, has to unfold to really see what we’re dealing with and see if there is any chance.”

The Yankees turned to Marcus Stroman, who recently shifted to the bullpen, to start in Cortes’ place Wednesday. Stroman last pitched eight days earlier, throwing three innings in his first and only relief appearance this season. The club also called up Cody Poteet, who was recently activated from the 60-day injured list and sent to Triple-A.

A former 36th-round pick, Cortes was an All-Star in 2022 and, after an injury-plagued 2023 season, was enjoying a bounce-back campaign, posting a 3.77 ERA across a team-leading 174⅓ innings pitched across 30 starts. Still, he was the subject of trade rumors at the deadline and was expected to pitch out of the bullpen in the postseason. His recent performance did not suggest he has been dealing with any elbow trouble; he gave up one run with 18 strikeouts in 15⅓ innings over his past three outings.

The stretch began with Cortes tossing 4⅓ hitless innings in his first relief appearance of the season against the Chicago Cubs, and afterward sharing his frustration with moving to the bullpen. He returned to the rotation five days later, limiting the Boston Red Sox to one run with nine strikeouts across five innings. On Sept. 18, he held the Seattle Mariners to four hits over six scoreless innings.

But Cortes said he began feeling discomfort before his relief appearance in Chicago. Bouncing back after each subsequent appearance became increasingly difficult. But Cortes, who said he doesn’t believe briefly changing roles caused the injury, pitched through it, believing the problem would subside until he threw a bullpen session Sunday in Oakland and reported the issue to the team. On Tuesday, after playing catch, he told the team he didn’t feel good enough to make his start Wednesday.

“I don’t think I was able to go out there and throw 100 pitches,” Cortes said. “Could have I gone out there and thrown? Definitely. Quality? Probably not. We’re trying to win as many games as possible and I don’t think I would’ve been the guy or the answer for us to win today so i decided to say something.”

The Yankees have, for the most part, benefited from good injury luck in recent weeks. Clarke Schmidt, Anthony Rizzo, Jon Berti, Ian Hamilton and Luis Gil also have been reinstated from the injured list since Sept. 1. The reinforcements made the Yankees more whole than just about any other club in baseball.

It also gave the Yankees a problem that teams would love to confront down the stretch: having six healthy, capable starting pitchers for five spots. The surplus prompted the Yankees to move Cortes to the bullpen for one rotation turn before switching Stroman with him for the next turn.

On Wednesday, that surplus took a hit.

“He’s been throwing the ball well so well and has put together a really good year,” Boone said. “Certainly feel for him right now and just have to pick up the slack there and support him right now.”

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker had the fans on their feet, roaring and pumping their fists as he rounded the bases after hitting the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. His screaming line drive cleared the right-field wall with plenty of room to spare.

The Chicago Cubs went from giving up 10 runs in the eighth to scoring six in the bottom half and beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11 on Friday in one of the wildest games on record.

The two teams combined for 21 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, with the Cubs scoring 11 runs and the D-backs plating 10. It was the first nine-inning game in MLB history in which both teams scored 10 or more runs from the seventh inning on, and the third game overall, according to ESPN Research.

“That’s kind of baseball,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs in this game, especially with how many games we play.”

There haven’t been many games like this, though.

The Cubs are just the seventh team in at least the past 125 seasons to allow 10 or more runs in an inning and win. They are also the fifth team to give up 10 or more runs and score six or more in the same inning.

The 16 combined runs in the eighth were the most in an inning at Wrigley Field, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“If you’ve seen that one, you’ve been around for a while,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said with a laugh. “It was crazy. You know, we gave up 10 runs in an inning and we won. So it was a wild game, but we kept going, and, you know, there’s 27 outs in a game and this kind of proves it, and you’re just happy to get out with a win.”

On a warm day with the ball carrying, Carson Kelly homered twice. Ian Happ belted a grand slam and Seiya Suzuki went deep, helping the Cubs open a weekend series on a winning note.

“You’ve seen it early — having some tough losses, coming back winning the next day,” Happ said. “Losing the first game of the series, winning the series. Little things like that. Today’s a great example of professional hitters going out there and continuing to have really good at-bats.”

The way things transpired in the final two innings was something to see.

Kelly hit a two-run homer in the second against Corbin Burnes, and Happ came through with his grand slam against Ryne Nelson as part of a five-run seventh. But just when it looked as if the Cubs were in control with a 7-1 lead, things took a wild turn in the eighth.

Eugenio Suarez cut it to 7-5 with a grand slam against Porter Hodge, Geraldo Perdomo singled in a run and Randal Grichuk put Arizona on top by one with a two-run double. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a three-run homer, making it 11-7.

The crowd of more than 39,000 let the Cubs hear it, but their team regrouped in the bottom half. Bryce Jarvis hit Nico Hoerner leading off and walked Pete Crow-Armstrong before Kelly drove a three-run homer to center. Tucker, the Cubs’ prized offseason addition, came through after Happ singled with one out. Suzuki followed with his drive against Joe Mantiply to give the Cubs a 13-11 lead.

Arizona, which had won five straight, became just the third team over the past 50 seasons to lose a game in which it had a 10-run inning at any point, according to ESPN Research.

“You just got to stay locked in,” Kelly said. “Obviously, you don’t want to … give up 10 in an inning. Obviously, you don’t want to do that. I think the biggest thing is coming back, regrouping and continuing to fight.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

Major League Baseball suspended New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount, the result of his actions during Thursday night’s win against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning by plate umpire John Bacon for arguing after a called third strike on a full-count pitch from Mason Montgomery that appeared low.

Minutes later, he posted on his X account, “Not even f—ing close!!!!!” then deleted the post.

“I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,” Chisholm said after the game. “I’m a competitor, so when I go out there and I feel like I’m right and you’re saying something to me that I think doesn’t make sense, I’m going to get fired up and be upset.

“I lost my emotions. I lost my cool. I got to be better than that. … I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.”

Michael Hill, the league’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said Friday’s discipline was for Chisholm’s “conduct, including his violation of Major League Baseball’s Social Media Policy for Major League Players.”

MLB regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. The social media policy prohibits “displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.”

Chisholm did appeal the decision, allowing him to play in Friday night’s 1-0 win against the Rays. He started at second base and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

ARLINGTON, Texas — Shohei Ohtani is away from the Los Angeles Dodgers for the birth of the two-way superstar’s first child.

Manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers’ series opener Friday night against the Rangers that Ohtani was with his wife and going on MLB’s paternity list.

“He and Mamiko are expecting at some point. That’s all I know,” Roberts said. “I don’t know when he’s going to come back and I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby, but obviously they’re together in anticipation.”

The 30-year-old Ohtani posted on his Instagram account in late December that he and his 28-year-old wife, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan, were expecting a baby in 2025.

“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” said the Dec. 28 post that included a photo showing the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that was covered by a baby emoji.

Ohtani can miss up to three games while on paternity leave. The Dodgers have a three-game series in Texas before an off day Monday, then play the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.

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