Lindor glad to get back at it
CLEVELAND — Francisco Lindor missed all the little moments. The big ones, too.
“Every pitch. Every out. Every celebration after every win,” the Indians AllStar shortstop said. “It was everything equally.”
Sidelined for the season’s first 18 games, Lindor was activated from the injured list Saturday before a doubleheader against the Braves. Lindor had been out since spraining his left ankle while running the bases in spring training as he was rehabbing a right calf sprain.
For Lindor, the away was difficult.
“Missing the flights. Missing getting to a hotel, getting your room key and figuring out what you’re going to eat,” he said. “I missed that. I miss my teammates. I miss the game. I miss the things within the game. It’s an honor. It’s a privilege to be healthy. It’s a blessing, and I ain’t taking it for granted. I used to take health for granted. Not no more.”
Lindor did not play in Saturday’s opener, but manager Terry Francona had him back at short and time batting leadoff in the nightcap. He struck out in his first at-bat of 2019, but singled and scored in the second inning.
“He’s one of the best players in the game,” Francona said. “He’s a difference maker everywhere: clubhouse, dugout, on the bases, at short, in the batter’s box.”
Lindor will wear a brace on his ankle, but said he won’t be limited.
“We’ll see how I feel on a daily basis, but I feel like I’m in a good spot,” he said. “I’m ready to play in a big-league game and not take any out off.”
■ Yankees: Aaron Judge hurt his left oblique while taking a swing in the already banged-up Yankees’ 9-2 victory over the Royals, and the All-Star slugger likely is headed to the injured list. Judge homered in the first inning but hurt himself in the sixth while hitting a single. He was taken to a hospital for an MRI and further tests. Asked if Judge could avoid going on the injured list, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “Probably not.”
■ Brewers: Christian Yelich hit two home runs, pushing his major-leagueleading total to 13, and Chase Anderson pitched five shutout innings in a spot start as the Brewers beat the Dodgers 5-0. The Brewers got on the board in the third when Yelich hit a solo homer with two out off Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-1). Yelich ripped Ryu’s first pitch of the sixth into the right-field seats to give Milwaukee a 2-0 lead. His 13 homers in the first month of the season matched the franchise record for home runs in single month, set by Prince Fielder in May 2007.
■ Blue Jays: Pitcher Matt Shoemaker injured his left knee in a rundown chase during the Blue Jays’ 10-1 victory over the Athletics. Shoemaker, sidelined in recent years by a series of injuries, was hurt while chasing Matt Chapman in the third inning. The 32year-old starter applied the tag and spun around to avoid contact. As he twirled, Shoemaker appeared to injure his knee.
■ Angels: Albert Pujols tied Babe Ruth for fifth place in baseball history with his 1,992nd career RBI. Pujols drove home Andrelton Simmons with a double off the Mariners’ Yusei Kikuchi in the third inning. Pujols tied Ruth according to baseball’s official starting point for the mark. RBIs weren’t an official statistic until 1920, and Ruth’s career began in 1914 with the Red Sox.
■ Mets: Ace Jacob deGrom played catch in the outfield of Busch Stadium and may not need an MRI on his elbow after all. DeGrom said before the game at St. Louis that his elbow soreness likely was from altering his routine during a recent bout of strep throat.
■ Cardinals: Miles Mikolas tossed eight stellar innings and also drove in two runs, leading the Cardinals over the Mets 10-2. Third baseman Matt Carpenter left the game after the sixth inning with a bruised left knee. He appeared to foul a ball off himself but stayed in and drew a walk, then scored a run and exited.
■ Extra innings: The Pirates placed CF Starling Marte on the 10-day injured list and SS Erik Gonzalez on the 60-day list a day after the two collided in the outfield Friday against the Giants. The team said Marte suffered an abdominal wall contusion and Gonzalez fractured his left clavicle . ... Red Sox RHP Nathan Eovaldi went on the 10-day injured list because of an elbow injury. The team said Eovaldi has a loose body in his right elbow. He has had two Tommy John operations and also had surgery last year to remove loose bodies in the elbow . ... Phillies shortstops Jean Segura and Scott Kingery and reliever Victor Arano were placed on the 10-day injured list.