The New York Yankees will try to avoid a series sweep against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday afternoon while waiting for more clarity on Aaron Judge’s rib bone bruise, an injury that has kept him out for three straight games and is also affecting his right shoulder. Judge had a second opinion from a specialist on Wednesday, but the Yankees did not immediately announce the results. Manager Aaron Boone said the club wants to know exactly what it is dealing with before deciding on a treatment plan and timeline.
New York has struggled without its captain, going 1-5 in its last six home games and failing to score more than four runs in any of those contests. The Yankees’ only win in that stretch came on May 24, when Judge delivered a two-run walk-off homer to beat Tampa Bay 2-0. Jose Caballero has filled in for Judge in right field over the past two games and homered on Wednesday, but the Yankees managed only five hits in a 5-4 loss after striking out 10 times. Gerrit Cole said injuries are part of the game and the team must find a way to respond.
Cleveland has been led by Jose Ramirez, who is finding his rhythm after a slow start. Ramirez went 6-for-9 in the first two games of the series, including three doubles in Tuesday’s 9-4 win and a home run plus three more hits in Wednesday’s 5-4 victory. Over his last 18 games, Ramirez is batting .333 with 10 runs scored, lifting his season average to .245. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said the star third baseman has been hitting the ball hard all year, but his recent stretch is starting to look more like the Ramirez Cleveland expects.
The Guardians’ offense has produced several hot hitters beyond Ramirez. Kyle Manzardo is batting .360 over his last seven games after homering and doubling twice Wednesday, while Rhys Hoskins is hitting .304 over his last eight games after driving in runs with a two-run homer and an RBI single in the series. Cleveland is aiming for its first sweep in New York since 2017.
Thursday’s matchup features left-hander Carlos Rodon for the Yankees against right-hander Slade Cecconi for the Guardians. Rodon is 1-2 with a 3.32 ERA and has allowed 13 walks in his first four starts back from offseason elbow surgery. He has been effective historically against Cleveland, posting a 10-5 record and 2.59 ERA in 23 career appearances, including a no-hitter against the Guardians in 2021. Cecconi enters at 3-5 with a 5.25 ERA and has shown progress over his recent starts, allowing three runs or fewer in five straight outings.
