The Philadelphia Phillies rode a nine-game winning streak back into the divisional race over the last week-and-a-half, but unfortunately that run came to an end with a 9-2 drubbing at the hands of the Seattle Mariners. More concerning than the lopsided score was the performance of Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, who hasn’t looked like himself for a month now. It remains to be seen if something is seriously wrong, or if Wheeler is just dealing with fatigue, but the club’s signing of veteran Nestor Cortes Jr. became a lot more important overnight as a potential panacea and sixth starter.
Like clockwork, it took less than 48 hours for that backup plan to hit the skids.
After nearly a year of surgical rehab, Cortes Jr. was signed by the Phillies, activated, sent to Clearwater, and now placed on the Injured List, essentially in on fell swoop. And just like that, it's back to Alan Rangel.
LHP Nestor Cortes, signed by the Phillies last week and optioned to Low-A Clearwater, has been placed on the IL.
— Charlotte Varnes (@charlottevarnes) August 26, 2026
Nestor Cortes Jr. injury could derail essential Phillies plan
The Phillies may be hitting lately, but they’re built on pitching; in particular starting pitching. Their top trio of Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo is perhaps the best in the entire sport, while veteran Aaron Nola and rookie Andrew Painter both seem to have righted the ship in recent weeks. If even just three or four of them, let alone all five, are at the top of their game come October, they’ll be a team no one wants to face.
Unfortunately, that isn’t the case right now. Sánchez hasn’t been quite the same since his scoreless innings streak ended at 50 ⅔ back in June, and Wheeler has gone completely off the rails over the past four weeks. The three-time All-Star kicked off this stretch of poor performances with a five-run shellacking at the hands of the Florida Marlins back on July 27. That’s been followed by five more uninspiring outings since then (with one rain-shortened start intermingled).
Things seem to be getting worse for Wheeler, not better, as Monday night’s dud was an eight-run affair in which he surrendered nine hits (including four homers) and walked five. It took the 36-year-old 103 pitches to get through just four innings of work, only 63 of which were thrown for strikes.
Clearly something isn’t right with Zack Wheeler. Whether he’s trying to gut out an injury or simply wearing down from a long season, the Phillies need to get him right for the playoffs. He undoubtedly could stand to benefit from a bit of extra rest.
The Phillies signed former All-Star starter Nestor Cortes Jr. last Wednesday with the hope being that he could provide an insurance policy for the rotation or take down bulk innings out of the bullpen. The 31-year-old was assigned to the Low-A Clearwater Threshers to build up before making his debut in red pinstripes, and that plan could've been accelerated if Wheeler needs a blow ... if not for Wednesday's news.
Cortes was a fixture in the New York Yankees’ rotation from 2021-2024, where he posted a 3.33 ERA and earned himself an All-Star selection. Unfortunately, the Cuban-born southpaw had a brutal 2025 campaign and has yet to pitch this season due to surgery for a torn tendon in his throwing arm. The Phillies seemingly thought they could get him back to his former heights, or something close to it. That plan is now very much on ice.
Cortes’ arrival in Philadelphia could've dovetailed perfectly with a stint on the injured list for Wheeler, or even a few weeks of a six-man rotation to give all of their hurlers a breather. It seems Nestor Cortes Jr. has become a very important part of the Phillies’ plans for the end of the season. That now seems like another shameful Dave Dombrowski half-measure, too little too late.
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