MLB Player News

Judge was removed from Wednesday's game against the Twins in the sixth inning due to right lower leg tightness, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

The full extent of Judge's latest issue is uncertain, but it's discouraging that he's already dealing with something new a little over a week after his return from a stress fracture in his ribs. New York is off Thursday before it begins a three-game set on the turf in Arizona on Friday.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday that Walls (hip) felt good during his workouts Tuesday, and the team is encouraged by the shortstop's progress, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.

Walls hit the 10-day injured list Sept. 8 with a right hip flexor strain, but it sounds like he won't miss much more than the minimum, with Bass indicating Walls could return as soon as Thursday. Now 30, Walls is a .199/.290/.297 career hitter over parts of six MLB seasons. However, Tampa Bay values his defense, and that aspect of his game has kept Walls in a regular role throughout the season (110 starts).

Heim is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

The 31-year-old will yield to Brian Serven behind the plate after catching three of the Athletics' last four games. Heim has hit 12 homers in 85 games with the A's this season, but he has been in a funk of late, slashing .175/.195/.275 with just one long ball so far in September.

Judge was removed from Wednesday's game against the Twins in the top of the sixth inning, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

Heliot Ramos pinch hit for Judge with a runner on base and the Yankees down 2-0. It's an odd spot to lift one of the best hitters in baseball, though Kuty suggests manager Aaron Boone may have simply wanted to give Judge a half day heading into Thursday's team off day. Judge just returned last week following a three-plus-month absence due to a stress fracture in his ribs.

Montgomery was removed from Wednesday's game versus the Guardians in the fifth inning with a left wrist contusion.

Montgomery initially stayed in the game after being hit by a Parker Messick pitch in the fourth inning, but he eventually had to be replaced. X-rays came back negative, and he's listed as day-to-day. Aside from the hit-by-pitch, Montgomery struck out in his only other plate appearance before being removed.

Jones went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run against the Twins in an 8-1 victory Tuesday.

Jones broke the game open in the sixth inning with a three-run blast to center field that gave the Yankees a 7-1 lead. The 25-year-old had a quiet start to his MLB career, posting a .739 OPS across 65 games through the end of August. However, Jones has come alive in September, slashing .340/.415/.532 with two homers, 12 RBI, seven runs and one stolen base through his first 13 contests this month. He's still striking out too much -- Jones has a 34.0 percent strikeout rate in September and a 35.0 percent punchout rate overall this season -- but he's become New York's everyday center fielder, starting each of the Yankees' past 14 games at that position.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Grisham (hamstring) is "up to a pretty decent speed" in his running progression and is also doing other baseball activities, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

When Grisham was diagnosed with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain in early September, Boone conceded that the outfielder could miss the remainder of the regular season. A return remains up in the air, but Grisham has given himself a chance with how he's progressed in his rehab. Spencer Jones is slashing .361/.425/.528 in 10 games since taking over for Grisham in center field, and Jones could keep the starting job even if Grisham does make it back.

Bellinger went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk in Tuesday's 8-1 win against Minnesota.

Bellinger continued his recent power surge with a two-run blast in the first inning. The All-Star outfielder has homered four times across his past seven games, adding two doubles and four RBI during that span. Bellinger has been red hot since late August, slashing .377/.380/.594 with seven extra-base hits and 12 RBI across his past 17 contests.

Bieber's (shoulder) bullpen session has been pushed back again to either Friday or Saturday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Bieber was initially slated to throw off the mound Tuesday, but that got pushed back to Wednesday and now his bullpen session has been delayed again. The right-hander did throw on flat ground Tuesday, and he's still aiming to return before the curtains close on the regular season. Bieber hasn't pitched since Aug. 20 due to right shoulder inflammation, so even if he does return next week his workload would be relatively limited.

Yesavage (knee) will throw a bullpen session this weekend and is on track to be activated from the 15-day injured list either Sunday or Monday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Yesavage didn't fare well in a rehab appearance Tuesday with Triple-A Buffalo, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and one walk over just two-thirds of an inning. However, the Blue Jays are fighting for a wild car spot, so they don't have the luxury of giving Yesavage more time to get sharp. Yesavage could start Sunday against the Rangers or Monday versus the Orioles, but he'll be very limited from a workload perspective.