Aaron Judge sits out Yankees' series finale vs. Phillies with back soreness; status for Blue Jays series unclear
Aaron Judge of the Yankees hits a solo home run against the Twins in the first inning of a game at Target Field on Wednesday in Minneapolis. Credit: Getty Images/David Berding
PHILADELPHIA — Aaron Judge is banged up again.
The rightfielder, the only Yankee to have put together a consistent offensive season to this point, did not play Sunday because of a sore back.
His status is far from clear for the series against the Blue Jays that starts Tuesday night in Buffalo.
"He was just kind of all day yesterday [Saturday] dealing with some back things," Aaron Boone said before Sunday’s 7-0 loss to the Phillies. "Still sore this morning waking up, so he’ll continue to get treatment all morning and during the game and hopefully be an option for us late [as a pinch hitter]. But just dealing with some back spasms starting yesterday."
After the game, Boone indicated there wasn’t a significant amount of improvement.
"I don’t think he was really available to us today as a hitter," he said. "We’ll just see how he gets through tonight and . . . see where we’re at on Tuesday."
Judge, who spent time on the injured list each of the previous three seasons, has avoided going on the IL to this point in 2021, though he’s dealt with various ailments vaguely described by the team as being in his "lower body" and "side" soreness.
Judge played the entirety of Saturday’s 8-7, 10-inning loss to the Phillies, going 1-for-5. He entered Sunday hitting .289 with a team-best 15 homers and a .920 OPS.
"He woke up yesterday with it being pretty sore," Boone said before the game. "He was able to get treatment, obviously was able to get through the game, but struggled a little bit to get his real good swing off, and then woke up this morning still pretty sore . . . hopefully, with the off day tomorrow, [he’ll] be good to go starting in Toronto."
No news on Sevy
Boone said he did not have a report on Luis Severino, who underwent an MRI on Sunday after leaving Saturday's rehab outing in the second inning with a right groin injury. Severino, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery in February 2020, had been on target for a return early in the season’s second half, a timeline now very much in question.
Voit close to a return?
Luke Voit, out with a Grade 2 right oblique strain, started a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, going 1-for-3 with an RBI double.
"We plan on having [him] rehab for about a week," Boone said.
