The San Diego Padres made yet another trade on a Thursday that was full of them. They acquired veteran starting pitcher Nestor Cortes shortly before the MLB trade deadline.
The former New York Yankees starter was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in December as part of the package for reliever Devin Williams. The lefty suffered a flexor strain in his pitching elbow in April and has been working his way back ever since. His last rehab start came on July 25, in which he struck out nine while allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings.
On the season, Cortes is 1–1 with a 9.00 ERA, a 1.75 WHIP, and eight strikeouts against seven walks in eight innings pitched. He should be close to a return, and with the Padres already dealing Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert earlier on Thursday, it seems likely he'll slot in to the starting rotation for the stretch run.
In exchange for Cortes, the Padres sent speedy reserve outfielder Brandon Lockridge to Milwaukee, a former Yankees farmhand. On the season, the 28-year-old is slashing .216/.258/.261 with no home runs and five RBIs.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Padres Add Former All-Star Nestor Cortes Just Before Trade Deadline.
