Nasty Nestor Deals in Rehab Outing with Double-A Somerset Patriots

Yankees lefty Nestor Cortes completed a rehab assignment with Double-A affiliate Somerset Patriots on Sunday afternoon, tossing 2.1 innings of work, allowing only a run on four hits as he makes his way back from a rotator cuff injury.

"I felt like I had good command out there today. My next one is Friday, after that I don't know," Cortes said about his rehab. "I am excited to be out there, I know it's close to 60 days now. The Boys are grinding, but we are confident we can comeback."

While he didn't qualify for the victory, the Patriots eventually brought out the thunder as three Patriots homered on Sunday afternoon. It was the 30th time this year that Somerset has hit three-plus homers in a game. They are 28-2 in such contests.

T.J. Rumfield and Elijah Dunham got the party started with solo blasts in the top of the third inning, before Trey Sweeney capped things off with an RBI double. Dunham who finished with three hits on the day, later added an RBI double in the fourth to make it 4-0.

Tyler Hardman capped off the day with a tw0-run bomb, his team leading 24th of the year, to put the Patriots up big 6-2.

Hardman is seven home runs away from tying the franchise record for homers by a Somerset Patriot.  Dermis Garcia holds that record with 31 home runs, set in 2021. Hardman's 24 home runs also ties him for the highest home run total in Minor League Baseball.

The Patriots return to action on Tuesday at 12 noon at TD Bank Ballpark when they open up a week-long series with the Bowie Bay Sox.