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The New York Yankees are getting one star back but will be without another for Wednesday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles.
While Gerrit Cole will make his season debut after he was sidelined with a right elbow injury, Mike Fitzpatrick of the Associated Press noted slugger Aaron Judge is not in the lineup after he was struck in the left hand by a pitch in Tuesday’s game.
“I think it’s day to day,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It was probably close today.”
B/R Walk-Off @BRWalkoff
Aaron Judge exited tonight’s game after getting hit in the hand by a pitch pic.twitter.com/XRUWSDRsrD
As is often the case when a hitter is hit on the hand by a fastball, there was concern Judge may have fractured something. After all, he missed 45 games with a broken right wrist during the 2018 campaign when he was hit by a pitch from Jakob Junis of the Kansas City Royals.
However, this pitch from Albert Suárez did not do as much damage.
X-rays and a CT scan were negative, which suggests it won’t be long until Judge returns to the lineup.
“Feeling better after I got some good news,” he said Tuesday. “A big relief. Just being hit there before a couple of years ago and breaking the wrist, you never know what’s going to happen. So finding out that it’s not fractured, not broken, is definitely a sigh of relief.”
New York will turn to Trent Grisham in center field for Wednesday’s contest.
It is welcome news for the Yankees that Judge is not expected to miss much time, as he has been an unstoppable force at the plate this season. He is slashing .302/.428/.687 with 26 home runs and 64 RBI.
He leads the American League in home runs, RBI, doubles (22), slugging percentage and OPS (1.115) and appears well on his way to what would be the sixth All-Star Game and fourth Silver Slugger of his career.
One thing missing from his resume is a World Series title, but the Yankees are in position to potentially change that this season from first place in the American League East at 51-24.
But having a healthy Judge anchoring the lineup will be key in that championship pursuit.
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