Aaron Judge’s health is already a concern.
The right fielder was held out of the starting lineup Wednesday against the Orioles with what Aaron Boone called “general soreness in his [left] side”
The manager said it was not an oblique injury, and with the Yankees having an off day Thursday, “I don’t want to take any chances.”
The Yankees start a series at Tampa Bay on Friday and Judge has suffered leg injuries from playing on the turf at Tropicana Field.
Judge didn’t dive for a ball in right field in Tuesday’s win over the Orioles and didn’t seem to run aggressively on the bases, although he looked good at the plate, homering for a second straight night and hitting the ball hard consistently.
Boone said he didn’t anticipate Judge taking any tests, although the 28-year-old is expected to undergo treatment and stretch prior to Wednesday’s game, with the possibility of being used late “in a big spot.”
Judge sat the final three games of spring training, two by design and a third due to allergies. He’d started all five of the Yankees’ previous games, including one at DH, but has battled oblique and rib injuries throughout his career.
