Judge out of Yankees lineup after tests on captain’s hip
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone listens to questions from reporters before the team’s baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, April 28, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)
The New York Yankees finished their game Friday night still uncertain about the status of captain Aaron Judge after tests on his sore right hip.
Judge didn’t play in the Yankees’ 5-2 loss in Texas, and manager Aaron Boone said afterward that they were still waiting for team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad to review the test results.
“It doesn’t seem too serious. But that said ... we still don’t have a clear picture of it yet,” Boone said.
When asked whether Judge could be headed for the injured list, Boone said he didn’t know.
“It seems like it could it could be day to day, but it also could be a short (IL) stint,” Boone said. “We’ll have to see when Dr. Ahmad weighs in and kind of see where we’re at tomorrow with it.”
Judge wasn’t seen by media in the clubhouse before or after the game.
Judge exited the series opener Thursday at Texas because of right hip discomfort. He struck out in his only two at-bats and was replaced in right field in the bottom of the fourth inning in his first game at the Rangers ballpark since hitting his AL season record 62nd homer there last October.
Boone had said before Friday’s game that Judge woke up feeling better.
The testing was done on Judge’s hip, and not his right hand.
Judge had an awkward head-first slide when trying to steal third base in the second inning Wednesday at Minnesota. His shoulders lurched forward ahead of his arms, and his right hand was jammed into the dirt underneath the weight of his body. He jogged without stopping off the diamond and up the tunnel to the clubhouse.
The Yankees before Friday’s game brought up Jake Bauers from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and he initially went on their taxi squad. Bauers was hitting .319 with nine home runs in 21 games.
“It was two-fold, obviously to give us some coverage there, but he could be in play any way moving forward,” Boone said of the move with Bauers. “But definitely wanted to put ourselves in a position to be covered just in case.”
After the game, outfielder Franchy Cordero was optioned to Triple-A, though no other roster moves were announced. Cordero was hitting .151 in his 18 games and had two plays in right field Friday that could have potentially been caught but wound up doubles for Texas.
After Judge stayed in the game Wednesday, his 31st birthday, he started the opener in Texas though he acknowledged afterward that he never could loosen up.
“Just the whole right side of the body when you do a have a pretty bad slide like that, you know, you kind of feel it the next day,” Judge said after the Yankees’ 4-2 win at Texas.
New York already was playing without outfielders Giancarlo Stanton (left hamstring strain) and Harrison Bader (left oblique strain), and third baseman Josh Donaldson (right hamstring strain). All are on the injured list, along with six pitchers.
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