Aaron Judge lands on injured list as New York Yankees' injuries continue to mount
NEW YORK – Just prior to Monday night's game at Yankee Stadium, Aaron Judge was retroactively placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right hip.
And that takes the Yankees' slugging captain out of this weekend's upcoming series at Tampa Bay against the first-place Rays.
In the Yankees' judgment, Judge was still dealing with a “minor’’ injury, Aaron Boone said before Monday’s series opener against the Cleveland Guardians.
But at that time, the manager was not certain if the Yankees’ slugging captain was headed to the injured list.
“We’ll know more after he goes through pregame (baseball) activity,’’ Boone said at the Stadium, where Judge was preparing to test his mildly strained right hip.
Injured on a head-first slide last Wednesday at Minnesota, Judge was not in the lineup during the Yankees’ final three games – all losses at Texas, including a 15-2 drubbing by the Rangers.
Boone said he wasn’t confident that Judge would avoid the 10-day IL, though he has improved daily since coming out of Thursday’s game at Texas after two at-bats.
“The risk we’re weighing is (that) we don’t want to put him in a position to where he goes out and compromises somewhere else, and the injury becomes something else, or worse,’’ said Boone. “That’s the biggest thing.’’
Last year's AL MVP, with an historic 62-homer season, Judge had not previously been on the 10-day injured list since suffering a strained right calf in 2020, which kept him sidelined from Aug. 27 through Sept. 16.
"He’s feeling pretty good, and his recovery has been good each and every day,'' said Boone. "But we’re playing the long game here (and) we want to make an honest assessment of where he’s at.''
Harrison Bader could be activated during current series
Boone was prepared again to potentially play with a shortened bench, with outfielder Jake Bauers (contusion, right knee) still day-to-day after crashing into the wall after making a spectacular catch Saturday at Texas.
With Judge on the IL, the Yankees officially recalled lefty-hitting outfielder Franchy Cordero, who was already on the Yanks' taxi squad.
Center fielder Harrison Bader (oblique) could be activated as early as Tuesday, with a decision due prior to Tuesday night’s game against Cleveland.
Bader took on-field batting practice Monday, an off day from his minor-league rehab assignment.
“He looks good,’’ said Boone. “He looks ready to most of us.’’
Bader was injured on a swing during a March 8 spring training game.
Veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson (right hamstring strain) took on-field batting practice Monday and fielded groundballs, though he’s not due to return until later this month.
Jonathan Loaisiga headed for surgery, Lou Trivino gets second opinion
Jonathan Loaisiga is scheduled to have a bone spur removed from his pitching arm, a procedure that will keep the reliever out of the Yanks’ picture until August or September.
Boone said that the surgery would be preformed by the Yankees’ physician, Dr. Christopher Ahmad. Loaisiga has been on the IL retroactive to April 6.
There is further concern for fellow right-handed reliever Lou Trivino, who was in Los Angeles on Monday, being evaluated by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
Injured early in spring training, Trivino began the year on the IL, due to a strained right elbow.
Meanwhile, Luis Severino (strained lat) was set to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday at Class A Tampa.
Severino is due to throw 45-50 pitches and he might be ready after two additional rehab starts, which will likely be at either Class AA Somerset or Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.