Yankees' Aaron Judge will continue to be in lineup as team plays out the string
Aaron Judge of the Yankees bats during the first inning against the Tigers at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 6. Credit: Jim McIsaac
BOSTON — Aaron Judge went into Wednesday in a mini-slump, with no hits and six strikeouts in his last 12 at-bats.
Manager Aaron Boone had penciled Judge into the lineup in right in a game that eventually was rained out and rescheduled as a day-night doubleheader Thursday.
Boone said it’s not yet time to talk about shutting down Judge as the Yankees play out the string.
Judge has been in the lineup almost every day since he returned on July 28 from nearly two months on the injured list with a torn ligament in his right big toe. Since returning, Judge has hit .211 with 12 home runs and an .853 OPS.
“Judgie wants to play,” Boone said. “Judgie wants to be a part of it, try to set a tone and an example for the younger guys coming up, too. We’ll certainly be mindful of that and try not to put anyone in harm’s way, but also treating these as very important games.”
Loaisiga update
Boone said an MRI showed that Jonathan Loaisiga has “got some stuff going on in there,” meaning his sore right elbow. Boone said he could not be more specific, and that if this had been earlier in the season Loaisiga would have been shut down for “a few weeks” with hope of returning.
Loaisiga had surgery in May to remove a bone spur from the same elbow.
Swisher: Good-luck charm
Former Yankee Nick Swisher, an adviser to general manager Brian Cashman, is with the team.
“I’m 5-0,” Swisher exclaimed in the visiting dugout, pointing out that the Yankees had won every game he has attended this season.
The wins came in Tuesday’s doubleheader sweep at Fenway Park and a three-game home sweep of the Royals in July.
Pitching plans
Michael King will start the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader and Clarke Schmidt the second in the Yankees’ second twin bill at Fenway in 48 hours.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
