Aaron Judge started a second straight game on Tuesday, but that both were at DH instead of one in right field was notable.
Judge had played right field on Saturday in his second game back from spending nearly two months on the injured list with a torn ligament in his right big toe.
But he is still dealing with some soreness — which Judge acknowledged he would have to do upon coming off the IL on Friday — and has not looked completely uninhibited on the bases.
“Yeah, he’s not his normal self,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees lost 5-2 to the Rays. “I saw the footage of him going first to third [Monday night], where there’s a little hitch in the gait. But I think we expected that and why we’re going to be cautious with a lot of days in a row initially and using the DH.
“But it’s nothing that’s alarming to this point. We knew we were dealing with not 100 percent. Hopefully as we go, that continues to get better.”
Judge had looked like himself at the plate through three games, going 3-for-7 with a home run and six walks, and got another hit Tuesday, going 1-for-4.
Boone was asked whether the Yankees could still play Judge in right field if he couldn’t bust it without issue.
“We’ll see. I think there’ll be days that yes, he’ll be able to play in right field,” Boone said. “Again, those will be the kind of decisions and conversations we have with Aaron on a daily basis.”
The more Judge needs to be the DH, the more Giancarlo Stanton would need to play the outfield or not be in the lineup.
With Judge at DH on Tuesday, Stanton was on the bench, striking out as a pinch hitter to end the game with runners on second and third.
Gerrit Cole is set to start Wednesday’s series finale against the Rays and Clarke Schmidt is expected to start Thursday’s series opener against the Astros.
After that, the rotation is very much in flux.
Luis Severino was lined up to start on Friday, but the Yankees were “continuing to talk through it,” Boone said, making it unclear whether he would remain in the rotation because of his struggles.
Nestor Cortes was also scheduled to make a third and likely final rehab start on Wednesday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but Boone said “we’re continuing to talk through that, too.”
He is eligible to be activated off the 60-day IL on Saturday, making it possible he could start for the Yankees as early as then if they decide not to have him pitch in one more rehab game.
Then there was Jhony Brito, who was called up on Monday to make a spot start for the (temporarily) injured Domingo German and remained with the club on Tuesday, with Boone saying, “For right now, we’re going to keep him.”
But it was not immediately clear in what role that would be or how long Brito would remain with the Yankees.
Outfielder/DH Willie Calhoun, who was designated for assignment on Friday, cleared waivers and was outrighted to SWB.