Juan Soto is not a fan of what Aaron Boone is now calling “The Aaron Judge Treatment.”
After Judge was intentionally walked three more times in Sunday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over Toronto, Soto said he didn’t like the strategy.
“It sucks because you want him at the plate,’’ Soto said. “I’m doing my best to [get] him up and to see them pass him over really makes me mad. I don’t like that. I want them to challenge him and see what he can really do.”
Juan Soto reacts to the series win and shares thoughts on some of his newest teammates. pic.twitter.com/vJXhZlHrnj
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 5, 2024
Soto acknowledged the strategy is “part of the game. They’re trying to win, too, so you respect that.”
Soto also homered and walked twice — and gave the Yankees a scare on his double in the eighth, when he slid into second and grabbed his right hand, which is already bruised.
Soto stayed down and was seen by the training staff, but stayed in the game.
“I’m still grinding with the hand,’’ Soto said. “It’s definitely still sore to the touch. I slid hard and hit the base. It hurt for a couple seconds and went away.”
Despite the lingering effects of the injury, Soto has remained productive.
“You forget about it,’’ Soto said of his mindset. “Just go out there and swing the bat. Worry about the pain after. That’s what I’ve been doing.”
There’s still no timetable for Jose Trevino’s return from the left quad strain that’s kept him out since he suffered the injury on July 12.
Since then, not only has Austin Wells seen his playing time increase, he’s played nearly every game behind the plate — something Boone is keeping an eye on.
“It’s something I’ve got to be mindful of, the long game, as hard as we’ve been riding him,’’ Boone said prior to Sunday’s game. “His performance is holding up well. … He’s taken [the opportunity] and run with it.”
Even with the Yankees going with a righty-heavy lineup Sunday against Toronto right-hander Yasiel Rodriguez, who is more effective against lefties, Boone had Wells in the cleanup spot.
Still, without Trevino’s veteran presence, the Yankees have to be wary of running Wells into the ground.
Rookie Carlos Narvaez was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 13, but has started just twice in that stretch.
“I considered sitting him [Saturday], but he was pretty adamant about being in there,’’ Boone said of Wells.
Ben Rice, filling in for the injured Anthony Rizzo at first base against most right-handers, is still doing occasional pregame work behind the plate, but the Yankees seem ready to go with Wells down the stretch — healthy Trevino or not.
Anthony Volpe has hit better since being bumped down the lineup from the leadoff spot. Boone said he’d prefer not to move Volpe up again, which is why Volpe was seventh in the lineup against the Blue Jays.
But he added, “I’ll never rule anything out.”
For now, though, Volpe remains in the bottom half of the order, with Gleyber Torres back at leadoff Sunday after being benched Friday for a lack of hustle.
After putting up just a .650 OPS during the 76-game stretch at the top of the lineup, the shortstop has an .810 OPS in 24 games since then.
Boone and James Rowson were ejected by home plate umpire Tripp Gibson in the bottom of the seventh after questionable called strikes, first to Wells to end an at-bat and then to Giancarlo Stanton.
Boone was upset when Toronto lefty Genesis Cabrera fired a ball in his direction, but the manager and umpires agreed it was not intentional.
Alex Verdugo wasn’t in the lineup with Boone saying the left fielder was “beat up.”
Asked to specify what was wrong with Verdugo, Boone said he was “alright.”
