By returning from his elbow injury for the World Series, Nestor Cortes will give the Yankees another left-hander to help neutralize Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.

As a reminder, Ohtani hasn't pitched since Aug. 23, 2023. He underwent surgery on his pitching elbow less than a month later. At the time, his surgeon said it was to "repair the issue at hand and to reinforce the healthy ligament in place while adding viable tissue for the longevity of the elbow."

It’s been a remarkable year for Shohei Ohtani, who signed a $700 million deal with the Dodgers last December. But the most remarkable part is that it began with a career-threatening controversy.