Gio Urshela sat out of the Yankees’ 4-1 victory over the Angels on Wednesday and is scheduled to get an MRI exam after injuring his left hand in Tuesday’s loss, according to Aaron Boone.
Boone said Urshela fell on the hand when he landed on the delayed double steal, when Urshela caught a throw from Gary Sanchez at second base and immediately threw home in an attempt to get Shohei Ohtani who successfully stole home.
Urshela just came back from the strained left hamstring that sidelined him for a month. Andrew Velazquez started at shortstop on Wednesday, with Rougned Odor at third.
Gleyber Torres is expected to play a final rehab game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday after SWB’s game on Wednesday was washed out.
If all goes well, Torres will return to the Yankees on Friday when they begin a homestand against Baltimore. He’s been out with a sprained left thumb.
Even when Torres returns, Boone said he expected Bronx native Velazquez to remain on the roster.
As for Odor, he has slumped lately, in a 2-for-30 rut.
Luis Severino is still just playing catch after being shut down with shoulder tightness while warming up for a rehab start for SWB on Aug. 13. It’s been another lost season for the right-hander, who was coming back from 2020 Tommy John surgery when he strained his groin during a rehab start that pushed back his return and then dealt with the shoulder tightness.
Boone said Severino could come back in some role this season, although perhaps as a reliever since getting built up as a starter in a month would be “difficult.”
Domingo German, on the IL with shoulder inflammation since the beginning of August, could throw a bullpen session this weekend.
The Yankees could have used them this month, especially with an upcoming 20-day stretch without an off day, and instead might turn to Luis Gil, who has pitched well in three starts with the Yankees this season.
Boone said Giancarlo Stanton was due for a day off for a while and he “probably” should have rested him Tuesday, so the right-handed slugger could be in the lineup to face Angels lefty Packy Naughton.
Boone said it was hard not playing Stanton, who has reached base in 26 of his last 27 games and has a dozen RBIs over his last nine to go along with five homers in his previous eight.
Rosters expanded from 26 to 28 on Wednesday, and the Yankees recalled OF Estevan Florial and right-hander Brooks Kriske from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. They had been with the team on the taxi squad.
Boone’s father, Bob, resigned from his role in the Washington Nationals’ front office because of their vaccine mandate for full-time employees. Aaron Boone, who received a pacemaker to treat a heart ailment during spring training, got vaccinated earlier in the year.