Yankees’ Judge to miss opener
Aaron Judge’s stress fracture in his uppermost right rib will keep him out of the New York Yankees’ lineup on opening day, and surgery hasn’t been ruled out yet.
After nearly a dozen tests of several parts of Judge’s body, a CT scan this week finally pinpointed the culprit. But the diagnosis raised more questions about the Yankees’ handling of injuries, particularly because Judge’s dates to last season.
Asked if it would take three to six months for the rib to heal, Judge said doctors told him that it appeared he was about halfway through that process. He will be reevaluated in two weeks with another CT scan to see how much the rib has improved. Boone said a decision on whether to surgically remove the rib, a small bone under the collarbone, would be made then.
Although Judge will miss opening day March 26, he said he believed he would avoid surgery. In the meantime, Judge won’t be lifting weights, hitting or throwing, in order to avoid further aggravating the injury, as he did over the winter.
ELSEWHERE
A League office: Major League Baseball is not changing its media-access policy — for now — amid the new coronavirus outbreak, opting not to follow the NHL’s decision to close dressing rooms to reporters upon the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control.
“We are undertaking many precautions currently,” MLB said in a statement. “For example, we are asking anyone — including media — who has visited a high-risk area, as defined by the CDC, within the last 14 days not to visit our facilities. We are also discussing additional measures internally and with other leagues. At this time, we have not made changes to our media access procedures, and we will advise if we determine to take such steps.”
A Orioles: Baltimore outfielder/first baseman Trey Mancini has left the Orioles to undergo what the team is calling “a nonbaseball-related medical procedure.” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde, who made the announcement after a game at Tampa Bay, said Mancini, 27, “is going to miss some time” but didn’t say how much.
A Indians: Oscar Mercado’s left wrist is only sprained, and Cleveland is hoping it will heal in time for the outfielder to be ready for opening day. An MRI taken Friday confirmed the sprain, which happened when Mercado made a diving catch in an exhibition game the previous day in Scottsdale.
A Mets: Matt Adams returned to the Mets clubhouse after he spent over a week away from camp — including a trip to New
York — undergoing cardiac screening.
The veteran slugger has been cleared to resume baseball activities and is grateful the tests are behind him. “It was probably the scariest week of my life,” Adams said. “It’s nice to be able to know that I got a clean bill of health.”