Yankees' Aaron Judge and Juan Soto have AJ Hinch's attention

DETROIT — AJ Hinch has seen plenty from Aaron Judge and Juan Soto over the years.

So the Detroit manager — who led the Astros from 2015-19, a period in which he faced Judge in two American League Championship Series and Soto in a World Series — had one thought in the offseason when the Yankees acquired the latter.

“I’m glad I’m in the [American League] Central and not the East, that was my first reaction,” Hinch said before the Tigers and Yankees opened a three-game series on Friday night. “Because that has to be the most potent back-to-back combo in the league, and that’s no disrespect to [anyone]. There’s a lot of good combos in the league. [But] I don’t think you’re going to find the star power and the impact of those two guys.”

Judge came into Friday as the American League's leading MVP candidate (though the Royals' Bobby Witt Jr.  also is very much in the discussion), hitting .333 and leading the majors in homers (43), RBIs (110), total bases (301), on-base percentage (.467), slugging percentage (.707), OPS (1.174) and intentional walks (14). He was tied with Soto for the MLB lead in walks with 102.

Soto, who helped lead the Nationals past Hinch’s Astros in a seven-game World Series in 2019, came into Friday hitting .307 with 34 homers, 87 RBIs,  268 total bases, a .438 on-base percentage, a .615 slugging percentage and a 1.052 OPS.

“I’ve gotten to see them at the highest level and continue to be impressed with not only what they do but how they do it,” Hinch said. “Soto with his flair and his feel for the moments, connection with the fans, the aura around him . . . I’ve met both these guys personally. And Judge, who does it at the highest level in the toughest city with the toughest market and the biggest expectations. These guys are the definition of superstars, so when you put them back-to-back and you look at your opponent, you’re immediately drawn to that situation. Not easy to go through it.”

Hinch did not order an intentional walk during the entire 2019 season . . .  until Game 2 of the World Series, when he issued one to Soto. He was asked about the much-talked-about situation that occurred on Wednesday night in Chicago when White Sox interim manager Grady Sizemore intentionally walked Soto to pitch to Judge, who promptly hit career homer No. 300, a three-run shot.

“The question is whether you walk them back-to-back,” Hinch said with a smile. “If I do that, that would shock me. We’re going to try and get them out.”

That has been especially difficult of late.

In his previous 27 games, Judge hit .444 with 11 homers and a 1.479 OPS; in his last 29 games, Soto hit .353 with 13 homers and a 1.270 OPS.

“Try not to take for granted [and] try to appreciate what you’re seeing with both of those guys,” Aaron Boone said earlier this week.

Hinch doesn’t take either for granted and, even from afar, appreciates the tandem.

“Our sport is always better when we have our best players that are featured night in and night out,” he said. “They’re two players that I follow almost on a nightly basis even though I’m on the other side.”

Chisholm expects to be back after IL stint. Jazz Chisholm Jr., placed on the injured list Tuesday after an MRI taken earlier in the day showed a left elbow sprain, said before Friday night’s game that it is “100% realistic” to say he’ll be able to return at the end of the 10 days.

“Right now, my body’s reacting really well to all the treatment that we’re doing, and it feels pretty good,” Chisholm said after briefly playing catch Friday (it's his non-throwing elbow that was injured).

The lefthanded-hitting Chisholm, who suffered the injury while sliding into home plate during Monday night’s loss to the White Sox, said he hasn’t felt any pain in the elbow since the day of the injury and added that he expects to start swinging a bat within the next few days.

Notes & quotes: Tim Mayza, released by the Blue Jays on July 5 and signed to a minor- league deal by the Yankees shortly thereafter, was added to the active roster before Friday night’s game. “He’s gotten back to a point where he’s throwing the ball like the Tim Mayza we’ve seen most of his career,”  Boone said. Mayza, 32, had an 8.03 ERA in 35 games before getting released but had a combined 2.67 ERA in his previous three seasons with Toronto.