NEW YORK — The Yankees didn’t offer Nestor Cortes life-changing money when they used a 36th-round draft pick on the Hialeah High School product in 2013.

Still, his parents encouraged him to do what he thought was best.

“They said it was my decision, and they respected that,” Cortes said Tuesday. “I feel like this is kind of like the same situation.”

By “this,” Cortes referred to his expedited throwing program after suffering a flexor strain in his left elbow. The injury landed Cortes on the injured list on Sept. 25.

Yet with the World Series set to start on Friday in Los Angeles, Cortes expects to be on the Yankees’ roster.

While no one had officially told Cortes that by the time he spoke after a workout at Yankee Stadium, he had just come off a 28-pitch live batting practice session. The southpaw simulated coming out of the bullpen, faced a hitting group that included the lefty-swinging Austin Wells and Oswaldo Cabrera, liked the look of his pitches, and hoped to be aided by a World Series-inspired adrenaline boost the next time he took the mound.

“I thought today went pretty well. I think we’re waiting on how I wake up tomorrow,” Cortes, normally a starter, said of a final decision. “I’m hoping that tomorrow I wake up ready to go.”

Cortes said he’s only felt normal, general soreness after his recent throwing sessions. He stopped feeling irregular soreness 10 days after he stopped throwing.

He added that trainers have been checking on him “every step of the way.”

“We’ve been pretty active on communication, and it’s gone as well as I thought it would be,” Cortes said.

The 29-year-old spoke to Yankees trainers, members of the front office, his agents, parents and wife about returning so soon. Because flexor strains can be a precursor to Tommy John surgery, there is risk involved for Cortes.

Such a surgery would force him to miss the 2025 season if it were to happen after this playoff push. Cortes is set to be a free agent after next season, putting tens of millions of dollars at stake if something goes wrong.

A significant injury could also make him a non-tender candidate this winter.

“I guess the way I’ve gone about it is I could probably pitch this World Series and be good, and then come into spring training and blow out and obviously not expect it,” Cortes said. “So I guess the World Series is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, hopefully not for this team.

“We have weighed in the consequences that this can lead up to, but if I have a ring and then a year off from baseball, then so be it.”

Early on in the recovery process, Brian Cashman dismissed Cortes’ desire to pitch, repeatedly telling him no.

However, a conversation took place during the ALCS when Ian Hamilton went down with a calf injury. The Yankees had Mark Leiter Jr. replace him instead of having Cortes rush an already-accelerated process.

“Nestor certainly would want to be [an option for Hamilton], but we’d be skipping too many return to play protocols to put him back in there and safely deploy him,” Cashman said during the ALCS. “It doesn’t mean he might not be available for the next round if we’re fortunate enough to get there, but there a few more hurdles for him to climb to put him in a safe zone. It’s his career we’re talking about. We’ll make sure he’s right.”

With Cortes now expecting to have his wish come true — Aaron Boone said “there’s a good chance” of him cracking the roster on Monday — he believes he can make an impact on the Yankees’ championship pursuit.

The Dodgers boast several formidable left-handed hitters, including Shohei Ohtani, Max Muncy and the banged-up Freddie Freeman. Cortes, who has bullpen experience, could be a neutralizing weapon if all goes well.

“I don’t want to be here just because I want to play in the World Series,” Cortes said. “I want to be here because I am going to help this team potentially win a World Series. If I’m healthy and ready to go, which I think I am, I’ll be able to contribute to this team.”

Cortes noted Ohtani will be “especially tough.” He plans on keeping the MVP candidate off balance by using some of his signature tricks, different arm slots, and his change-up, which he typically avoids against left-handed hitters.

“I’m gonna have to bring out the kitchen sink on him,” Cortes said. “Not only him, but all the other lefties that they have in that lineup.”

Cortes’ usage will certainly be monitored if he pitches in the World Series.

This time of year, relievers rarely get predetermined off days. Cortes wasn’t looking at himself as an exception, but the Yankees will want to be careful with him.

“There’s going to be a time in either Game 1 or Game 2 where there’s going to be a lefty lane for me, and I’m going to have to be out there,” Cortes said. “And then if I throw four to eight pitches, I might be ready to go the next day. So we’ll just see how it goes.”

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