Aaron Judge began a second straight game on Tuesday, but that each were at DH as an alternative of 1 in right field was notable.
Judge had played right field on Saturday in his second game back from spending nearly two months on the injured list with a torn ligament in his right big toe.
But he continues to be coping with some soreness — which Judge acknowledged he would should do upon coming off the IL on Friday — and has not looked completely uninhibited on the bases.
“Yeah, he’s not his normal self,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees lost 5-2 to the Rays. “I saw the footage of him going first to 3rd [Monday night], where there’s a bit of hitch within the gait. But I believe we expected that and why we’re going to be cautious with quite a lot of days in a row initially and using the DH.
“But it surely’s nothing that’s alarming up to now. We knew we were coping with not one hundred pc. Hopefully as we go, that continues to recover.”
Judge had looked like himself on the plate through three games, going 3-for-7 with a house run and 6 walks, and got one other hit Tuesday, going 1-for-4.
Boone was asked whether the Yankees could still play Judge in right field if he couldn’t bust it without issue.
“We’ll see. I believe there’ll be days that yes, he’ll have the ability to play in right field,” Boone said. “Again, those shall be the type of selections and conversations we now have with Aaron on a every day basis.”
The more Judge must be the DH, the more Giancarlo Stanton would wish to play the outfield or not be within the lineup.
With Judge at DH on Tuesday, Stanton was on the bench, striking out as a pinch hitter to finish the sport with runners on second and third.
Gerrit Cole is ready to begin Wednesday’s series finale against the Rays and Clarke Schmidt is anticipated to begin Thursday’s series opener against the Astros.
After that, the rotation may be very much in flux.
Luis Severino was lined up to begin on Friday, however the Yankees were “continuing to speak through it,” Boone said, making it unclear whether he would remain within the rotation due to his struggles.
Nestor Cortes was also scheduled to make a 3rd and certain final rehab start on Wednesday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but Boone said “we’re continuing to speak through that, too.”
He’s eligible to be activated off the 60-day IL on Saturday, making it possible he could start for the Yankees as early as then in the event that they determine to not have him pitch in yet another rehab game.
Then there was Jhony Brito, who was called up on Monday to make a spot start for the (temporarily) injured Domingo German and remained with the club on Tuesday, with Boone saying, “For straight away, we’re going to maintain him.”
But it surely was not immediately clear in what role that might be or how long Brito would remain with the Yankees.
Outfielder/DH Willie Calhoun, who was designated for task on Friday, cleared waivers and was outrighted to SWB.
