Yankees’ Aaron Judge takes BP, nearing return from COVID-19

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
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TAMPA. Fla. — New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge and catcher Kyle Higashioka took another step in returning from the COVID-19 injured list by taking batting practice Monday at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.

First baseman Luke Voit, on the IL with left knee inflammation, also took part in the workout at the Yankees’ spring training complex.

With manager Aaron Boone present, Judge also did defensive drills in right field.

New York was off Monday before opening a key series Tuesday night in nearby St. Petersburg against the Tampa Bay Rays. Judge and Higashioka, placed on the IL July 16, are expected back during the three-game set.

The Yankees (51-47) started Monday nine games behind AL East-leading Boston and eight back of the second-place Rays.

New York is facing some important decisions with Friday’s trade deadline looming and owner Hal Steinbrenner, who lives in the Tampa area, likely will be in attendance at Tropicana Field.

Right-hander Clarke Schmidt, out since spring training with an elbow strain, allowed one hit and struck out five over three innings for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Yankees against the FCL Tigers West. He threw 24 of 30 pitches for strikes during his first rehab start.

The Yankees acquired right-hander Clay Holmes from the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor league infielders Diego Castillo and INF Hoy Park.

Holmes is 3-2 with a 4.93 ERA in 44 relief appearances with the Pirates this year. Over four seasons with Pittsburgh, he is 5-7 with a 5.57 ERA over 91 games, including four starts.

Park appeared in one game with the Yankees, on July 16 against Boston. He had a .307 batting average, along with 11 homers and 32 RBIs between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Castillo hit .277 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs with Somerset.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees returned catcher Rob Brantly to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Astros star Altuve has surgery on broken thumb, a WBC injury

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
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Houston Astros star Jose Altuve had surgery Wednesday on his broken right thumb, an injury that occurred in the World Baseball Classic and will significantly delay the second baseman’s 2023 debut.

The Astros announced that the 32-year-old Altuve had the procedure done in Houston and will stay there to begin his rehabilitation, with only one week left in spring training. The Astros will fly there on Sunday following their final Grapefruit League game in Florida, before playing a pair of exhibitions against their Triple-A team, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, in Texas.

Altuve was hit by a pitch on Saturday while playing for Venezuela in the WBC. He might not be ready to return to the lineup until at least late May. The eight-time All-Star and 2017 American League MVP batted .300 with 103 runs, 28 homers and 18 steals for the World Series champion Astros last season. Mauricio Dubón and David Hensley are the leading candidates to fill in for Altuve at second base.

Altuve isn’t the only Major League Baseball star who was hurt in WBC play, of course. Mets closer Edwin Díaz will miss the 2023 season because of a torn patellar tendon in his right knee as the freak result of an on-field celebration following a WBC win by the Puerto Rico national team.

BROWN DOWN

The Astros also scratched right-hander Hunter Brown from his scheduled start Wednesday against the Mets in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Manager Dusty Baker told reporters that Brown, who is ranked by MLB as the organization’s top prospect and competing for the last spot in the rotation, has discomfort in his lower back.

NOT QUITE READY

The New York Mets sent catcher Francisco Álvarez to Triple-A Syracuse, quashing for now the possibility of putting the prized 21-year-old on the opening day roster.

Álvarez, who made his major league debut with the Mets near the end of last season, had just three hits in 28 at-bats in Grapefruit League exhibition games. Ranked by MLB as the third-best prospect in baseball, Álvarez batted .260 with 27 homers and 78 RBIs in a combined 112 minor league games in 2022 at Double-A and Triple-A.

The Mets have newcomer Omar Narváez, a 2021 All-Star with the Milwaukee Brewers, as their primary catcher with Tomás Nido likely to play mostly against left-handed pitchers.

Speaking of the Mets, Díaz turned 29 on Wednesday – a rather subdued milestone for the right-hander considering his situation. Diaz nonetheless posted in Spanish an upbeat message on his Twitter account, thanking God for another year of life and describing his health as good and his outlook as positive in this initial stage of the roughly eight-month rehabilitation process.