NEW YORK – Batman leader DJ LeMahieu of the American League was placed on Sunday by the New York Yankees on the 10-day injured list due to a sprained left thumb, with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton standing on the sidelines.
LeMahieu was injured during an awkward swing in the fourth inning of Saturday night’s 11-5 victory over Boston and left the game two innings later.
He broke a small bone in the thumb in 2018 while he was with Colorado, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone said LeMahieu told him that the thumb felt similar Saturday night. LeMahieu did not play between May 13 and June 1 that year.
“It’s just a pollution that has not been broken,” Boone said. “Somehow I think a little relieved of kind of fear for the worst of last night, but we will really have nothing definite until.” tomorrow. ‘ ‘
Hours after the availability of Boone’s pregame media, Mike Ford, who figures to receive some extra playing time, rode in three rounds as the Yankees beat Boston 4-2 Sunday night for their ninth straight victory over the Red Sox.
Ford put New York ahead when he dumped an RBI single in the short center field in the first inning, giving the Yankees a 4-1 lead with a two-run homer from Chris Mazza in the third. Ford exchanged a string of non-socially distant fists with teammates.
“I think a lot of young players put a little too much stress on themselves at times with those opportunities,” said Ford, a left-handed bat that Luke Voit makes on first base. “It’s not really about playing time. It’s more just controlling your emotions when you get that piece of two weeks, where you can try to prove what you can do.”
LeMahieu was sent for an MRI and CT scan on Saturday night. Delayed by COVID-19 when training resumed in July, he returned for opening time and hit .411 with two homers and eight RBIs.
LeMahieu, 32, hits lead on top of a powerful Yankees lineup and plays second to the team that leads the AL East with a 14-6 record, New York’s best start since 2003.
“That is the catalyst of this crime,” Judge said. “No matter the situation, the time of the game, what happens, how he feels.”
Tyler Wade figures to get second place most of the time in LeMahieu’s absence. He had an RBI double after replacing LeMahieu on Saturday night.
“I’ve always had confidence in my game. It just comes with reps,” said Wade, who started Sunday with a .286 average in 14 at-bats.
Closer Aroldis Chapman is on Monday to activate the injured list after recovering from the coronavirus that has sidelined him since training returned last month.
Miguel Andujar was recalled from New York’s alternative training site in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he was suspended after the game on August 5. Andujar suffered a shoulder injury last year and lost the job at third base to Gio Urshela, returning from surgery this year, hitting .071 (1-for-14) with no RBIs in five games.
Judge has plans to play handball again on Monday and activate on Saturday. He got pain from playing on artificial turf at Tampa Bay and tried to talk the Yankees into not putting him on the IL.
“Go there, slap your legs up, play on that turf. I just felt a little tight,” he said.
Judge said he plans to wear sneakers while playing off-field at Tropicana Field in the future, and then switch to baseball bats while you play handball.
“I feel 100 percent now,” he said. “I tried to beg her to give me a few days so I could be ready tomorrow. But it’s what it is. I think she’s just looking out for me so it does not get worse.”
Stanton has not played since August 8 due to a punishing left hamstring, and Judge has not played since Tuesday due to a restless right calf. Stanton has been on the DL / IL in six of nine seasons, and refereed in three straight seasons and four of five.
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