New York Yankees' Outfielder 'A Little' Banged-Up

This Yankee outfielder is dealing with some nagging bumps and bruises.

Jul 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo (24), outfielder Juan Soto (22) and outfielder Trent Grisham (12) celebrate win against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

One of the New York Yankees' outfielders is feeling worn down lately.

Alex Verdugo is "a little beat up", according to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, and got the day off on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays. Boone also cited that the Bronx Bombers are off on Monday, so he wanted to give Verdugo an extra day of rest so he could be ready on Tuesday.

There aren't any specifics about what exactly is bothering Verdugo, as Boone believes that the 28-year-old should be fine moving forward.

Aaron Boone said Alex Verdugo is a “little beat up.” Wanted to get him a double day off.

Wouldn’t say what he’s dealing with other than saying he’s “all right.”

— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) August 4, 2024

Verdugo has struggled offensively this season, as he's hitting a career-low .233/.291/.369 with 24 doubles, 10 home runs, 49 RBI, 53 runs scored, and an 87 wRC+ (league average is 100). This hasn't stopped the Yankees from playing him in 34 consecutive games; before Sunday, the last day Verdugo wasn't in the lineup was June 21 against the Atlanta Braves.

Over those 34 games, Verdugo had a .191/.253/.279 slash line with just 26 hits in 151 plate appearances. He hasn't seen much improvement since the All-Star break either, with a .218/.286/.309 slash line and a 70 wRC+.

The Yankees have desperately looked for ways to jump-start Verdugo during this extended slump, most notably by shuffling him throughout the batting order. He's gradually been taken out of the cleanup spot, but is now flip-flopping between the leadoff spot and the lower half of the lineup. In his last eight games, Verdugo has batted leadoff in seven of them; perhaps the Yankees are thinking that he'd break out of his funk with more at-bats, but this hasn't done him much good yet.

Ultimately, Verdugo has two days to tend to any wounds he may have and recharge his batteries; perhaps some well-deserved rest is what he needs to get going again.