HOUSTON — Pointing out that Aaron Judge had played in the first 27 games this season and the Yankees were aware Judge had left shoulder surgery in the offseason, Aaron Boone didn’t write Judge into Monday night’s lineup against the Astros.
“He is OK. Basically, a grueling 18-in-a-row stretch and we got here in the middle of the night. I am just trying to pick a day here and there with some of our guys who have basically played every day,’’ Boone said before Judge drew a walk as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of a 2-1 Yankees loss at Minute Maid Park. “You have to keep in mind he is coming off offseason shoulder surgery and hasn’t had a day off yet. Everything is good in that regard, but we also want to keep it that way. It’s been on my plate the last few days.’’
Judge struck out 10 times in 15 at-bats in three weekend games against the Angels in Anaheim, but Boone said that wasn’t the reason for keeping Judge on the bench Monday and playing Giancarlo Stanton in right field.
In the previous 24 games, Judge was hitting .317 with seven homers and 18 RBIs but a 8-for-30 slide dropped his average from .338 on April 21.
Tyler Austin’s four-game suspension ended after Monday’s loss and he will return to the active roster Tuesday when Boone will have a full 25-man roster to work with. It hasn’t been decided if Austin will start at first base.
“He will be active, whether he is in the lineup I am not sure yet,’’ said Boone, who started switch-hitter Neil Walker the past four games. He went 2-for-16 with three RBIs.
Considering the right-handed hitting Austin batted .349 (15-for-43) with three homers, 13 RBIs and had a 1.091 OPS in his last 11 games before being benched by MLB, Boone might throw him back in the lineup Tuesday against Justin Verlander.
Brandon Drury went 6-for-13 (.462) in four games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but the third baseman, who is on a minor league rehab assignment, isn’t to join the big-league club until Friday at the earliest.
Drury, who is on the DL because of migraine headaches and blurry vision, will continue getting treatment, according to Boone, and be evaluated in the next few days.
Didi Gregorius was named AL Player of the Week on Monday after hitting .357 with four home runs and 10 RBIs. It is Gregorius’ first AL Player of the Week award.
“He is everything you ask for, he is a joy to manage,’’ Boone said of Gregorius.
The shortstop, who went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Monday, doesn’t focus on the numbers next to his name.
“I just worry about the game and getting good results,’’ Gregorius said.
Thairo Estrada, the Yankees shortstop prospect who missed all of spring training after being shot in the hip in Venezuela during the off-season, was moved from Single-A Tampa to SWB on Monday.
Estrada, 22, played in 10 games for Tampa and batted .222 (10-for-45). Last year at Double-A Trenton, he batted .301 with a .353 on-base percentage.
Infielder Abiatal Avelino was transferred from SWB to Trenton.