Having lost his chance to start on Opening Day, Gerrit Cole, the New York Yankees are looking to their next best player.
So it would appear that Nestor Cortes is the one.
Friday was the day that the left-handed pitcher was selected to start for the Yankees on Opening Day.
He took over for the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, who has been out for at least a month due to an elbow ailment.
In the course of his career, this will be the first Opening Day start for Cortes.
On the first day of the season, which is slated to take place on March 28, the Yankees will play the Houston Astros away from home.
On Friday, the news was relayed to Cortes by Aaron Boone, the manager of the Yankees.
In Cortes, the Yankees will be starting a guy who faces a difficult 2023 (he is not alone among the Yankees in this regard).
This player is likely the most popular player among the remaining players in the rotation.
In June, the 29-year-old player had a rotator cuff tear in his left shoulder, which caused his season to come to an abrupt end.