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Joon Lee, ESPN
NEW YORK — The Yankees are holding their breath with Aaron Judge‘s toe injury.
Swelling in Judge’s injured toe has gone down since the star outfielder ran into a wall at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, but Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he is unsure if a trip to the injured list will be necessary. Team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad is expected to examine the toe later Tuesday to see if it is broken.
“The swelling’s better today and he feels a little bit better today,” Boone said. “We’ll kind of see where we are tonight or tomorrow.”
If the toe is broken, Judge could be out for four to six weeks, a big blow for a lineup built around the star’s bat. Judge spent time on the injured list earlier this season because of a right hamstring strain, but he is having a strong year at the plate, hitting .291/.404/.674 with 19 homers and 2.2 bWAR in 49 games.
The Yankees’ depth will continue to be tested in the rotation, with Nestor Cortes heading to the injured list because of a left shoulder injury. Boone mentioned Cortes has struggled to bounce back between starts.
So far this season, Cortes has a 5.16 ERA in 11 starts, striking out 59 batters in 59⅓ innings.
To replace Cortes, New York called up Randy Vasquez from Triple-A. The righty made his major league debut on May 26 against the San Diego Padres, allowing two runs in 4⅔ innings pitched.
But there is some good news on the injury front for New York. Outfielder Harrison Bader, who went on the injured list with a low-grade hamstring strain, is feeling better and going through activities on the field. While Bader is eligible to come off the injured list Friday, he said he needs more time before returning.
“I really am over the hump of that and now it’s just a matter of adding load and speed, which just takes a few days,” Bader said. “I wish I could just roll out of bed tomorrow and be ready to play in the lineup by the next day, but that’s just not how these things go.”
Bader has been a fan favorite for Yankee fans, hitting .267/.295/.511 with six homers in 26 games while playing strong defense in center field after starting the season on the injured list with an oblique injury.