Judge out of Yankees lineup after tests on captain’s hip
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Yankees captain Aaron Judge was out of the lineup Friday while the team waiting results of testing on his right hip.
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 is first game at the Rangers ballpark since hitting his AL season record 62nd homer there last October.
“He just said he woke up, felt better today. So hopefully that’s an encouraging sign,” manager Aaron Boone during pregame Friday. “But again, he’s going to see the doctor here in a little bit, and we’ll have a better idea.”
Boone said the testing was on Judge’s hip, and not his right hand.
Judge had an awkward head-first slide when trying to steal a 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.
After staying in that game, on his 31st birthday, Judge also 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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