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MLB notebook: Yankees' Judge to return Friday

[June 21, 2019] The New York Yankees are expected to activate slugger Aaron Judge from the injured list on Friday and have him in the lineup to face the Houston Astros.

Judge has missed two months with a strained left oblique sustained during a swing on April 20, but he isn't worried about easing back in or avoiding re-injury upon his return.

"I'm not going to try to baby it or go at 80 percent," Judge told reporters Thursday. "We're in the major leagues. We're ready to go. That's not something I'm worried about happening again."

Manager Aaron Boone said the team would make a corresponding move after Thursday's game against Houston to open a spot on the 25-man roster for Judge, who will bring the Yankees closer to full strength after Giancarlo Stanton returned from a lengthy absence earlier this week.

--The New York Mets fired pitching coach Dave Eiland and replaced him on an interim basis with Phil Regan, 82.

In moves ahead of the series opener at Chicago against the Cubs, the Mets also fired bullpen coach Chuck Hernandez. Ricky Bones, the Mets' bullpen coach from 2012-18, returns to the job on an interim basis.

Eiland was hired as the Mets pitching coach before the 2018 season, following the hiring of manager Mickey Callaway. Hernandez was hired as the Mets' bullpen coach in December.

--The Tampa Bay Rays are considering splitting their home schedule between the Tampa Bay area and Montreal after MLB's executive committee gave them the green light to explore the two-city solution, ESPN reported.

Sources told ESPN the plan would involve playing early season home games in Florida and the remainder of the year in Canada.

The Rays would play in new stadiums in both places. Playing early in the season in Tampa -- before the start of the rainy season -- would preclude the need to build a domed stadium, thereby cutting construction costs.

--The Philadelphia Phillies moved $330 million slugger Bryce Harper into the leadoff spot against the Washington Nationals.

Philadelphia manager Gabe Kapler opted for the maneuver with his team averaging just 3.9 runs during a 6-12 stretch. The club has struggled at the top of the order since Andrew McCutchen sustained a season-ending knee injury on June 3, batting just .115 with a .220 on-base percentage in the leadoff spot.

Perhaps the move will jolt Harper as well, as he was batting just .243 with 12 homers and 49 RBIs through Wednesday. Another power hitter, Rhys Hoskins, batted second against Washington.

--Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill was placed on the injured list due to a left forearm strain.

Hill underwent an MRI exam to determine the severity of the ailment after he lasted only an inning in his Wednesday start against the San Francisco Giants.

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New York Yankees Aaron Judge in the dugout during game against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Warming up for the second inning, Hill was visited by trainers and manager Dave Roberts before exiting the game. Hill had two strikeouts and threw 15 pitches in a 1-2-3 first inning.

--The Colorado Rockies placed shortstop Trevor Story on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right thumb.

Initial X-rays taken after Wednesday night's victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks were negative, but an MRI exam on Thursday confirmed the injury. Story is expected to miss multiple weeks, but he avoided serious structural damage and is not expected to need surgery.

Story was attempting a headfirst slide into second base in the sixth inning when he jammed his thumb.

--Kansas City shortstop Adalberto Mondesi was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a groin strain prior to the Royals' game against the Minnesota Twins.

Mondesi sustained the injury on Tuesday and missed Wednesday's game. The move was retroactive to June 19.

The 23-year-old leads the majors with 27 stolen bases and eight triples. He is batting .269 with six homers and 44 RBIs in 71 games.

--The Cubs called up highly touted pitching prospect Adbert Alzolay, and the right-hander made his major league debut against the visiting Mets.

Tyler Chatwood started and pitched four innings Thursday, his first start since April 21. Alzolay entered in the fifth inning, and struck out the side in the sixth.

--The St. Louis Cardinals activated veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright from the injured list and started him against the Miami Marlins.

Wainwright, who is 5-6 with a 4.46 ERA this season, had been out since June 9. He allowed three runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings.

--The Washington Nationals announced they will extend the protective netting in front of their field-level seats over the July All-Star break.

Nationals principal owner and vice president Mark Lerner said he became emotional last month when he saw that a 4-year-old girl was hit by a line drive foul ball during a Chicago Cubs-Houston Astros game in Houston.

--Field Level Media

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