Yankees pitcher Cortes emerges pain-free from first spring training start after injury-marred 2023

Nestor Cortes wasn’t exactly nasty in his first spring training appearance, but the New York Yankees left-handed emerged from Monday’s game against Minnesota feeling good.

After an injury-marred 2023, it’s a start.

“Everything positive, pitches really crisp,” Cortes said after allowing two runs and seven hits with four strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. “And most important, got out of there healthy. So a big step forward.”

Cortes went 5-2 with a 4.97 ERA in 12 games last year and made just one start after May 30 while dealing with a rotator cuff injury.

Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu made his spring training debut and stayed in the game after taking a bad hop infield RBI single by Jair Camargo off the face in the third.

LeMahieu said he was fine after the ball hit his glasses near the top of his nose.

LeMahieu singled in two at-bats. He was slowed by a foot injury in 2023 and hit just .243.

“I feel good,” LeMahieu said. “Good to be out there today. I felt good running. Been feeling really good swinging. Just moving better. I feel prepared and I have a good foundation, and ready to keep building for the long haul.”

Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton went 0 for 3 as the designated hitter in his first game after another injury-marred season.

A markedly slimmer Stanton lined out twice, including a 104.3 mph drive to center on his initial at-bat.

Stanton hit .191 average with 24 homers and 60 RBIs last season, and has not played a full season since 2018, the first year after New York acquired him from the Miami Marlins.

Sho-time starts today, Yamomoto takes the hill Wednesday

Shohei Ohtani will make his exhibition debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers when he serves as the designated hitter for Los Angeles today against the Chicago White Sox.

Los Angeles has been taking it slowly with the two-way star, who signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract during the offseason. The two-time MVP is coming off right elbow surgery last September that will keep him from pitching this year.

Ohtani did take live batting practice on Sunday, with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts saying the sport’s biggest star looked “good.” The 29-year-old Ohtani is further along in his recovery than Los Angeles anticipated, and the team hopes he will be available when the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres open the regular season by playing a two-game series in Seoul, South Korea, on March 20 and 21.

“Most importantly is his health,” Roberts told reporters. “So if it lines up, great. And if it doesn’t, then we’ll still move on from there.”

The Dodgers also announced that right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto is scheduled to make his first Cactus League appearance on Wednesday against Texas.

Los Angeles gave the 25-year-old Yamamoto a $325-million, 12-year deal in December after bringing him over from Japan, where he won three straight Most Valuable Player awards in the Nippon Pacific League.

Yamamoto will wear a custom-made glove featuring the Japanese flag on the outside of the webbing.

Homecoming for Hernández

The Dodgers and former World Series star Kiké Hernández agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract.

When Los Angeles agreed to trade outfielder Manuel Margot to Minnesota, it opened up a spot on their bench for Hernández, a free agent after finishing the 2023 season with the Dodgers.

The 32-year-old utility player has spent the vast majority of his career with Los Angeles, first from 2015-20 and then again during the second half of last season after Boston traded him back to the Dodgers.

Montgomery to Boston?

The Boston Red Sox have touched base with free agent left-hander Jordan Montgomery as they search for another starting pitcher, preferably one that can fit in at or near the top of the rotation.

Manager Alex Cora confirmed an ESPN report that the Red Sox held a video conference meeting with Montgomery “recently” but declined to get into specifics.

“I think we’re working (to add a starting pitcher),” Cora said. “We’re working hard towards that. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. But we’ve been working hard the whole offseason. It’s not a lack of trying.”