ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Six swings. Two missed. A dirty ball. One hit – a single track of 112.8 mph. A foundation. Two victims.
Aaron Judge stayed in the game, apparently had no physical problems, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone was pleased with what he saw on Saturday in a 4-0 defeat against the Rays at Tropicana Field.
“He seemed to be doing well,” Boone told reporters.
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Boone added that he had not yet spoken to the judge, but ‘I would expect him to play’ as a judge would be in order.
Judge was not made available to speak to reporters. He has not spoken in public since Tuesday, before there was any sign that something could be wrong with him.
He missed Wednesday and Friday games and treated what Boone described as pain on the left side. Boone said before the game on Saturday that Judge told him he was healthy enough to play. Boone said he believes the hurt could have been the result of a judge overworking himself.
“I think it was a gradual kind of workload, which probably swung a lot and did a lot of cage work that led to a bit of soreness that developed over time,” Boone told reporters before the game. “But I do not think one thing” led to the injury.
At the time, the Yankees only played seven games.
Now, they are 3-5, losing two of their first three series. They hope Sunday’s starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery can help them get swept.
Here are six more Yankees observations:
The grid moves: The Yankees on Saturday brought down the starting pitcher Domingo German to the alternative yard. German threw 79 places in four overs, losing four runs in the loss. The Yankees need another bullpen arm and they want to keep German outstretched to get started. Due to the coming days, the Yankees could skip the fifth starting spot. It is very likely that the team will add the right-hander Albert Abreu from the taxi team on Sunday. The other Yankees taxi thrower, Mike King, has not been dismantled for ten days and therefore cannot be recalled unless another player is placed on the injured list. (If the Yankees choose not to skip the fifth appetizer, King may be recalled and take the turn.)
The Jay Bruce situation: Bruce hit hits in three innings with two goals and dropped his average to .111 with a 0.472 OPS. He also had a handful of shaky moments in the field. The Yankees will likely drop him from Sunday and move DJ LeMahieu to first base and start Rougned Odor. But the Yankees will continue to give Bruce a look. Luke Voit is not expected for a few more weeks, and Judge’s injury mystery has once again highlighted the possible fragility of the outfield.
Gio Urshela s’n side effects: The third baseman missed Friday’s loss when he dealt with the effects of a COVID-19 vaccine. He said he felt good when he arrived at the stadium, but he got worse and worse. He added that several of his teammates felt the same way. By the way, Urshela said he does not think he will feel bad about playing shortstop as he spends so much time in the area due to defensive shifts. Urshela became the team’s primary backup shortcut, with Tyler Wade being sent to the alternative site.
Gleyber Torres‘bat: Torres received well-deserved criticism for his play on shortstops, but it was his bat that was a matter of late. He hit once in his last eight batsmen without walking. He has an extra base hit, a double and no multi-hit games this year. He did have a hit in each of his first seven games.
Are the Yankees better than the rays? Far too early to say, but Boone was asked the question anyway. His answer? “Well, we’ll see. They are one of the teams we have to compete with in this division. They are, of course, a great team and the defending American league champion. We expect to be this and more this year. They are one of the teams we have to go through. We have a long way to go from here. I think it’s silly to answer that question now. We have to go out and prove it. ”
The vaccine: Urshela said the Yankees received the one-shot vaccine Johnson & Johnson at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. Vaccination against Moderna and Pfizer requires two shots.
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Brendan Kuty can be reached at [email protected]. Tell us your coronavirus story or send us a tip here.