Cautious Yankees continue to DH Aaron Judge after return from toe injury

CHICAGO – Aaron Judge, like pretty much all players, isn’t a fan of DH’ing, preferring instead to be playing the field.

But, following his return from the IL July 28 after missing 42 games with a big right toe sprain, Judge has appeared in 11 games, counting Tuesday night's 7-1 win over the White Sox, just three of those in the field (Judge, who was in right Monday, was at DH Tuesday and went 1-for-2 with three walks, a strikeout, and an eighth-inning solo home run).

Aaron Boone said on the day Judge came back that there would be a constant dialogue between the two, most of it surrounding how the captain’s toe was feeling.

“He’s definitely had some days of some soreness and dealing with it,” Boone said before Tuesday’s game. “But I do feel like it’s steadily gotten better, which has been good to see. I feel like he’s moved around the bases pretty well. Obviously, getting him out in the field against  [Monday] went well. I think, overall, it’s gone pretty well and [something we] continue to pay close attention to, obviously.”

Judge, who said almost from the time he was diagnosed with the sprain that the toe likely wouldn’t feel 100 percent at any point the rest of the season, has gotten off to a slow start at the plate since his return. Entering Tuesday, Judge was 7-for-31 (.226) with one homer, one double, three RBIs, 10 walks and nine strikeouts in 10 games since returning.

Sevy still on

Boone, though not outright guaranteeing it, said the plan remained for struggling righthander Luis Severino to start the series finale here Wednesday night.

“Yes, as of now, he’s set to go,” Boone said. “See how tonight turns out.”

Severino, a free agent after the season, is 2-6 with a 7.74 ERA in 13 starts, including 1-4 with an 11.22 ERA in his last six outings.

Catching up

Ben Rortvedt, who more or less became Gerrit Cole’s personal catcher when Jose Trevino was lost for the season with a torn ligament in his right wrist, started a second straight game Tuesday night, this one with Clarke Schmidt on the mound, and went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.

Has Rortvedt, acquired in spring training 2022 as part of the deal with the Twins that sent Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela to Minnesota, supplanted Kyle Higashioka as the catcher who will get the bulk of the playing time moving forward?

“No, I would say it’s a shared thing,” Boone said. “With [Touki] Toussaint going, wanted to have a third lefty in [the lineup]. Higgy will probably catch tomorrow and the first day in Miami [on Friday]. It’s kind of a shared deal.”  

Extra bases

DJ LeMahieu was given a scheduled day off Tuesday but is physically ok, Boone said…The Yankees have not yet set their rotation for this weekend’s series against the Marlins, though Boone said Nestor Cortes, who made his return from the IL last Saturday, could be “pushed back” a day and called on to start Saturday, rather than Friday. Cortes, who threw 64 pitches over four innings in which he allowed one run and one hit Saturday, experienced “normal soreness” after the start, Boone said, with an emphasis on “normal."