TORONTO — Yankees manager Aaron Boone wanted to make sure words weren’t put in his mouth when he was asked if there was a way Aaron Judge could return in time for the Yankees-Red Sox series in London at the end of the month.
“Don’t say I said he will be back by London. Is there a way? Yes. But that is something we will let the timeline unfold,’’ Boone said of Judge, who is at the team’s facility in Tampa but not facing live pitching yet.
Judge left an April 20 game with a strained left oblique.
Gary Sanchez hit his 19th homer in the fourth inning of the Yankees’ 11-7 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, passing Yogi Berra for the most homers by a Yankees catcher before the All-Star break. Berra had 18 homers before the break in 1956.
After a miserable game in right field Sunday night against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, Boone said he still could play Clint Frazier in right. All it took was one game of using Frazier as the DH on Tuesday evening to get him back in right field against the Blue Jays.
Frazier didn’t have any issues, went 1-for-3, scored a run and was removed for defensive purposes in the eighth.
Aaron Hicks landed awkwardly on the warning track after an unsuccessful jump to try and deny Brandon Drury of a homer in the eighth inning. Hicks stayed down on the track but said he was OK after the game.
Hicks wasn’t in the starting lineup because Boone’s plan was to play the center fielder in just two of the three games on artificial turf.
According to Boone, Troy Tulowitzki is taking a break from workouts in Tampa and is home in Las Vegas.
“Giving him a couple of days off as he tries to get over that hump,’’ Boone said of the shortstop who has played in five games and has been on the IL since April 4 with a strained left calf.
Dellin Betances faced hitters for the first time in almost three months, throwing 20 pitches to minor leaguers in a simulated game Wednesday.
Betances has not pitched in a game since March 17, his fourth and final spring training appearance, because of a right shoulder impingement
“It felt good,” Betances told the Associated Press. “Nice to face hitters. It’s been a while. Nice to be out there again and not feel what I was feeling last time. I think that’s a positive.”
Betances expects to throw a bullpen session in a couple of days and then face hitters again.
Giancarlo Stanton, sidelined since March 31, progressed to an extended spring training intrasquad game and went 1-for-5. Stanton didn’t run out of the batter’s box in any of his at-bats. He had nine plate appearances in a simulated game Tuesday.
Stanton originally strained his left biceps, then his left shoulder. He played in one game for Single-A Tampa on May 20, then was told to rest because of left calf tightness.
