Aaron Judge back in Yankees' lineup at DH after resting legs for one game
The Yankees' Aaron Judge runs the bases after hitting a grand slam off Pirates relief pitcher Manny Banuelos during the eighth inning of a game in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Credit: AP/Gene J. Puskar
BOSTON — Aaron Judge’s lower-body soreness — which Aaron Boone later clarified as a calf issue — sidelined the outfielder for all of one game.
He returned to the Yankees’ lineup Friday night and went 0-for-5 with a walk and three strikeouts as the DH in the Yankees' 12-5 win over the Red Sox. Boone said he’ll probably use Judge as the DH once or twice next week to get him off his feet a bit more and try to avoid aggravating whatever the issue has been.
“Want to be smart through this stretch, make sure we stay in a good spot and stay out in front of it,” Boone said. “Being strategic and smart with certain days here and there.”
Boone said he expects to play Judge in centerfield here Saturday and Sunday.
Judge, headed to the All-Star Game for the fourth time, entered Friday hitting .287 with a .993 OPS and an MLB-leading 30 homers. Because he’ll be among the handful of Yankees — the total isn’t yet known — headed to Los Angeles for the All-Star Game, he won’t get the time off that most of his teammates will.
“There’s always that urgency of that day, but trying to keep in mind the long game, too,” Boone said of protecting Judge.
What could go wrong?
Matt Carpenter, who started in the outfield (in rightfield) for the first time since 2013 on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, got the start in Fenway’s tricky leftfield Friday night. Tricky, of course, because of the Green Monster looming above.
“Not a ton of ground to cover. You just don’t want to give a guy that extra base,” he said before the game, referring to the challenges of the Monster and the oddities it can create.
While not certain exactly what to expect in an unfamiliar spot, Carpenter called getting the start in Fenway’s famed leftfield “really cool.”
“I hope,” he said with a smile, “to get a good picture out of it.”
Stanton an All-Star starter
Giancarlo Stanton will be one of the outfield starters for the American League in the All-Star Game on July 19 at Dodger Stadium. Stanton, who edged George Springer in the second phase of fan voting, and Judge are the first pair of Yankees outfielders to earn fan-elected starts together since Hall of Famers Dave Winfield and Rickey Henderson in 1988.
Stanton, who strongly indicated he will participate in the Home Run Derby, said of getting voted into the All-Star Game: “That’s amazing. Thank you to the fans. Really cool to be able to go where I grew up and be in the All-Star Game. It’s going to be really cool.”
