The New York Yankees took on field on Sunday in an entertaining rubber game against the Toronto Blue Jays. With the game tied 3-3, rain showered interrupted the play and when it resumed, DJ LeMahieu shined with a walk off hit in the 10th extra inning to take away a series victory.
That being said, the New York Yankees starting lineup didn’t feature regular left fielder Alex Verdugo. The ex-Red Sox slugger has been inconsistent for a while now and his benching raised suspicion on a potential injury concern. However, manager Aaron Boone addressed the speculations once and for all.
Alex Verdugo ‘A Little Beaten Up’ Confirms Skipper Aaron Boone
The New York Yankees entered the Sunday series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays with a new starting lineup. Aaron Judge was back in the outfield on the left, whereas Trent Grisham replaced him in centre field, thus leaving Juan Soto on the right. Interestingly, regular left fielder Alex Verdugo was left off the team. Manager Aaron Boone revealed that Verdugo has been feeling a bit fatigued, and the team is dealing with it a little cautiously. Hence, Alex was benched for the finale so that he could have two back-to-back days of rest since Monday happens to be an off-day. Having said that, Boone confirmed that Verdugo’s health isn’t compromised. He is healthy and is expected to be back next week.
Notably, Alex Verdugo isn’t necessarily having a positive offensive season. In 108 games, Verdugo is hitting 233/.291/.369, including 10 homers and 49 RBIs, a 15.7% strike-out rate and a 7.9% walk rate. However, the outfielder has been a lot better in defence. Over 953.1 innings, Verdugo owns a .995 percentage with five defensive runs saved. That being said, with the slugger dealing with fatigue, perhaps the New York Yankees could consider promoting top prospect Jasson Dominguez from the minor league. The prospect was recently activated from IL after recovering from an oblique strain. His debut in the majors last year was excellent before he endured a UCL tear injury. While the Yanks are hesitant, perhaps the timing is right to introduce his back. Another option is to use Trent Grisham in an everyday role. He is on the bench serving as fourth outfielder. Hence, ideally, Grisham should be Verdugo’s replacement.
Yankees Share Concerning Injury Update On Anthony Rizzo
Meanwhile, ahead of the series finale against Blue Jays on Sunday, manager Aaron Boone shared a key injury update on veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Boone revealed that Rizzo has resume hitting with the bat. However, he still has a long way to go before he attains full recovery from the arm fracture injury.
On the other hand, infielder Jon Berti’s recovery from a hip injury is almost at 80% after he received a second PRP injection on July 20. Also, relief pitcher Ian Hamilton is scheduled to throw a high-intensity bullpen session on August 6. However, before returning to the majors, he would need to pitch in more bullpen and live sessions.
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