Judge left off the lineup with soreness in left side

NEW YORK — Aaron Judge has been left off of Wednesday’s lineup with general soreness in his left side, Aaron Boone revealed.

Judge has had 22 at bats over the Yankees first five games of the season. He’s been the starting right fielder for four games and the designated hitter in one. Yet, after less than one week of play, Boone curiously attributed Judge’s soreness to wear and tear of the last five games.

“With the off day tomorrow, you know, just something we’re trying to stay ahead of and don’t want to push through anything right now,” Boone said when asked of the decision to leave Judge off of the lineup in the series finale against the Orioles.

The slugger was sore during and after the Yankees’ 7-2 win over the Birds on Tuesday — though whether he intentionally held back on trying to made a grab in right field or looked a little run down while running bases was as a result of being sore, Boone said he didn’t think so. He did explain that the soreness in his side was because of the uptick in repetitions of taking swings.

“I know when he DHed the other day, he hit a lot, he took a lot of swings during that day,” the Yankees manager said. “But I think it’s been just kind of gradual.”

Judge went 3-4 with a home run, his second of the season, on Tuesday.

When asked if the soreness started during any outfield plays, like when Judge bumped his left side into the wall making a catch a fan tried to steal right from inside his glove, Boone again said: “I guess maybe it could have led to something, but I don’t think so because I don’t think it was a real issue until last night. Whether that was part of the overall wear and tear and getting, you know, leading to some of the soreness, I guess that’s possible.”

COVID vaccines: The Yankees haven’t said too much on who or how many players and staff were thinking about or planning to receive any of the available coronavirus vaccines. Boone, however, revealed they more than likely will have enough or more than enough of the threshold set by MLBto then start toning down COVID-19 restrictions.

“I’m very optimistic that we’re going to get to that point very soon just, it’s a matter of when we get that opportunity, which I know is coming,” Boone said. “I’m confident we’re going to be well past that 85% when our day comes.”