Gio Urshela not in Yankee lineup after taking pitch off shin on Tuesday night

Gio Urshela was out of the lineup Wednesday night with a sore left shin after being hit by a pitch there on Tuesday night.

“He had X-rays, which were negative. It’s actually kind of obvious where he got hit on the side of the shin, more in the muscle. So he’s pretty sore today,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Still a little bit of swelling in there.”

Urshela was hit in the seventh inning and left for a pinch runner in the ninth. He was obviously limping. With him down, DJ LeMahieu was back at third base and Rougned Odor was at second base.

“Hopefully, it’s not something that keeps him down too much,” Boone said.

Urshela is hitting .273/.317/.442 with a .759 OPS. His impact is on both sides of the ball, however, and the dropoff in the Yankees defense when he is not on the field is considerable.

POWER OUTAGE

Gleyber Torres has been in a slump for the last two weeks, but Tuesday night might have been rock-bottom. The Yankees shortstop went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in a loss to the Royals.

Overall, Torres is hitting .248/.328/.326 with a .654 OPS with three home runs over 63 games. It is a similar line to what he put up in 42 games in last year’s COVID-19 abbreviated season, in which he missed 18 games with a leg injury. It is nowhere near the power outburst he had in his breakout 2019 season. That year, Torres hit 38 homers and 26 doubles while slashing .278/.337/.535 with an .871 OPS.

“He’s been a little off balance. Not that power there,” Boone said. “He’s strong and got a strong thick, lower half that I feel like hasn’t been working as well for him here this last week or 10 days. I know they’re working hard behind the scenes to try and get that locked and I know he’s out early hitting on the field off the (high-velocity) machine and stuff so hopefully we can unlock that a little bit and eventually see that power that we know is in there.”

BRITTON BUILDING BACK

Zack Britton felt general soreness Sunday and was unavailable, but the lefty set-up man said Wednesday that he was ready. He said that coming back from surgery to remove a bone fragment from his left elbow in March is hard because he doesn’t have the slow ramp up of spring training.

“It’s so hard. surgery wasn’t that long ago, and then I had no spring. So it’s kind of an uphill battle with getting everything where I want it to be, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have success,” Britton said. “It’s just, I kind of have to grind through it a little bit more than normal. Physically, I’ve been feeling pretty good. I mean, my elbow feels great after the surgery.”

Britton had to work out of a jam in his last outing, but in his three appearances has not yet given up an earned run.

FADING FRAZIER

Clint Frazier had his chance. Again. The Yankees’ outfielder came to the plate with the game-tying run in the ninth with one out Tuesday night. Frazier struck out for the third time.

Frazier went 0-for-5 Tuesday and stranded six base runners. Wednesday night he was back in the lineup in right field as the Yankees gave Brett Gardner the night off.

Frazier  was given multiple opportunities to take the starting left field job and he has done nothing to keep it. After being named the Yankees starting left fielder by Boone and GM Brian Cashman this winter and spring, Frazier lost playing time earlier this year to Brett Gardner, and when center fielder Aaron Hick went down for the season, opening left field again, he lost it to converted outfielder Miguel Andujar.

“It hasn’t deterred him,” Boone said of Frazier. “One thing I’m pleased with while this has gone on is he’s ready to play. His work hasn’t changed. He’s been ready for opportunities. When we put him in there, he’s performed and delivered.”

Boone started Frazier in left Tuesday for just the 35th time this year. Frazier had two hits in Saturday’s win over the A’s. He had a key walk in the win Sunday.

“I’ve actually been pleased with how [Frazier] has responded in the last week or 10 days when he’s lost some playing time and regular playing time,’' Boone said. “We’ve seen him come off the bench and have meaningful at-bats for us … [and] his work has been really good.”

But Frazier is slashing just .187/.305/.322 with a .627 OPS this season. He has five homers with 60 strikeouts and 27 walks in 200 plate appearances.

Frazier 6-for-34, with three doubles, no homers, one RBI, four walks and 18strikeouts in his last 39 plate appearances.