Luke Voit hits home run, double in return to Yankee lineup

Luke Voit did not waste time. The Yankees slugger hammered the first pitch he saw in his first game back from the injured list for his second home run of the season. Voit also hit the second triple of his career in the Yankees 6-5 loss to the Royals at Yankee Stadium.

“I felt good. Obviously you want to get that first hit out of the way when you get back. Obviously I was able to do that. I was ready to go from pitch one and it felt amazing, especially after having really good at-bats in (minor leagues),” Voit said. “So again to draw a couple 3-2 counts and then you know, big triple, which I never hit so yeah, I felt really good and I’m happy with my at-bats.”

Voit, who won the home run title in 2020′s coronavirus abbreviated season with 22, has played just 12 games this season. He began the year on the injured list after having surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus in his knee. He has been back on the IL with a strained oblique since May 26. In those 12 games, Voit was slashing .182/.280/.250 with a .530 OPS with one home run and 15 strikeouts.

“I flushed the first half and I’m finally healthy. This is the first game since the beginning of spring I’ve been healthy. With getting hit in a hand my second at-bat (of the season) I think I changed my mechanics in my swing, which ended up, I think that’s why I hurt my oblique,” Voit said. “So there’s nothing wrong with me now, I feel great. Like I said earlier, it was good to get a week’s worth of games so I got my legs under me and everything’s rocking and rolling man. So I’m ready to obviously get this team rolling into the all-star break and go from there, so it’s been good so far.”

To make room for Voit on the roster, the Yankees optioned Chris Gittens to Triple-A after Sunday’s game.

URSHELA UPENDED

Gio Urshela was limping and left the game in the ninth inning after being hit in the shin with a pitch Tuesday night. The third baseman remained in the game after being hit in the bottom of the seventh and made one of his usual exceptional defensive plays in the eighth.

Aaron Boone was not sure Urshela would be available Wednesday.

“We’ll see. I mean, he got hit by the pitch so and I think it just kind of stiffened up,” Boone said. “Obviously it’s a little bit of a cold, wet night so we’ll see how he’s doing.”

BACKEND BACK

Aroldis Chapman needed a triple play to get out of the ninth inning on Sunday, when the lefty was struggling with a torn fingernail on his pitching hand. It’s the second time this season Chapman has dealt with a fingernail issue.

Boone said before the game he expected to have the closer available to him on Tuesday night.

“He feels good. And hopefully that’s just kind of one of those one day things that obviously was a little bit of an issue with him, especially command wise,” Boone said, “but I expect them to be good to go tonight.”

Boone said he also had set-up man Zack Britton available on Tuesday. Britton Was not available on Sunday because of “general soreness,” and Boone wanted to give him a day to go with Monday’s scheduled off day.

Britton had not pitched since Thursday night, which was just his third appearance since returning from March surgery to remove a bone fragment from his elbow.