The New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has come to the defense of Aaron Judge‘s teammate after he was harshly criticized for not running out a grounder. Boone has explained that Alex Verdugo was playing injured and that his lack of speed at that time is due to his physical condition.

The incident occurred during the Yankees’ game against the Rangers, in which they lost 10-6. Alex Verdugo grounded out to second base and didn’t run with much urgency to first.

In the past, Boone has been stricter with other players for lack of effort. For example, last month, he pulled Gleyber Torres from a game for not running hard on a line drive he thought would be a home run.

Although the move drew attention, Aaron Boone defended Verdugo and claimed he had no issue with the player’s effort. “He’s OK. He’s beat up. He’s playing his ass off,” Boone said after the Yankees dropped their third straight series. “He picks his spots — when he needs to, he beats out the force play, beats out a double play, gets the infield hit.”

However, Boone believes Verdugo’s situation is different. The outfielder has been playing through injury and has shown great effort at other times in the game. Verdugo also explained that he is injured but doing everything possible to stay in the lineup. “I’m fine,” Verdugo said.

Alex Verdugo #24 of the New York Yankees reacts after hitting a double against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. (Photo by Heather Barry/Getty Images)

Wells and Schmidt nearing their return

Austin Wells, who missed the last two games due to a bruised hand, is close to returning to the Yankees’ lineup. The catcher has shown improvement and is expected to be ready to play on Friday in Chicago.

Clarke Schmidt, sidelined with a lat injury, is also nearing his return to the Yankees’ rotation. The right-hander hopes to throw about 75 pitches in his next outing.

Aaron Judge still chasing his 52nd home run

Aaron Judge, the Yankees’ star player, continues his quest for his 52nd home run of the season. Despite hitting 51 home runs, Judge has gone nine games without a homer, marking his longest drought of the season. The Yankees are still fighting for a playoff spot, and Judge’s offensive production will be crucial to their hopes.