Slumping Judge out of New York’s lineup
Aaron Judge’s slump carried him to the bench.
Judge was not in New York’s starting lineup for Thursday’s game at Cleveland, a move Yankees manager Joe Girardi decided was necessary to give the rookie slugger a chance to regroup.
Judge is batting .164 (11-for-67) with four home runs, nine RBIS and 29 strikeouts since the All-star break. His batting average has dropped from .329 to .299, and he struck out in 21 consecutive games.
“Mechanically he’s a little bit off,” Girardi said. “He’s missing some pitches he wasn’t missing the first half of the season, and those are leading to his problems.”
Judge, who leads the majors in homers with 34, will return to New York’s lineup Friday, Girardi said.
■ Rangers: Yu Darvish left Texas, but not without leaving behind a thank-you.
In a full-page ad placed in Thursday’s edition of The Dallas Morning News, the right-hander thanked Rangers fans for the courtesy and support they showed him in his 5 1/2 years with Texas since arriving from Japan.
He acknowledged what he called “a small number of voices that said, ‘Darvish only cares about strikeouts.’” He said that he might have had strikeouts on his mind, but fans and teammates were his top priority.
His biggest regret? Giving up 10 runs in his last start with Texas before he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In other Rangers news, A.J. Griffin (left intercostal strain) was activated from the disabled list, and fellow right-hander Clayton Blackburn was optioned to Triple-a Round Rock.
■ Brewers: Righthander Matt Garza (right lower leg strain) was activated from the disabled list, catcher Jett Bandy (fractured rib) was placed on the 10-day DL, righthander Brandon Woodruff was recalled from Colorado Springs, and right-hander Wily Peralta and outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis were sent outright to the Triple-a club.
■ Giants: Outfielder Jarrett Parker (broken right collarbone) was activated from the disabled list, third baseman Ryder Jones was recalled from Sacramento, third baseman Jae-gyun Hwang was optioned to the Triple-a club, and third baseman Conor Gillaspie was designated for assignment.
■ White Sox: Outfielder Willy Garcia was diagnosed with a fractured jaw and a concussion after colliding with teammate Yoan Moncada on Monday. Garcia will undergo surgery to insert a plate into the jaw and is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.
■ Tigers: Right-hander Michael Fulmer (right elbow ulnar neuritis) was placed on the 10-day disabled list, and righthanded reliever Edward Mujica’s contract was purchased from Triple-a Toledo.
■ Athletics: Kendall Graveman (right shoulder strain) was activated from the disabled list, and fellow right-hander Daniel Gossett was optioned to Triple-a Nashville.
■ Dodgers: Righthander Brock Stewart was optioned to Triple-a Oklahoma City to clear a roster spot for newly acquired left-handed reliever Tony Cingrani.