Cortés’s six-shutout innings against the Dodgers last week gave way to a rough three-inning clunker with an ejection—a reminder of the volatility that can punctuate a high-strikeout, high-upside pitcher.

Cortes was ejected early after a single and walk, leading to Peralta’s appearance and Minnesota’s scoring surge. His ejection altered early game dynamics and forced bullpen reshuffles that defined the pitcher pool for the innings that followed.

Cortés has looked stout since returning, delivering 21 innings with a win and 17 strikeouts, while posting a manageable 3.00 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. The resurgence is timely as the Yankees push for rotations with consistency and strikeout upside.

Cortes draws a favorable match-up against Minnesota, offering a reliable ctl and strikeout profile. While not a high-upside strain, he provides solid ratios and a reasonable win likelihood, especially when paired in a two-start week or in deeper formats where upside is scarce.

Cortes is cited among the trio of pitchers who limited the Dodgers, reflecting a broader narrative about the weekend’s cross-team pitching depth and the ongoing chess match in the NL West season’s stretch drive.