This has not been the free agent walk year Alex Verdugo envisioned. Traded from the Boston Red Sox to the rival New York Yankees in December, Verdugo joined the peerless Aaron Judge and Juan Soto in the Yankees' outfield, and also had a chance to play 81 home games in Yankee Stadium with its short right field porch. There was reason to believe he'd have a big year.
Instead, Verdugo enters play Saturday hitting .235/.294/.366 with only 10 home runs through 504 plate appearances. He's on pace to post his lowest batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and WAR since becoming a full-time player in 2019. Verdugo's left field defense has been very good, though not good enough to make up for the bat.
Over the All-Star break, Verdugo may have found the reason for his down year: his batting gloves, according to NJ.com. Specifically, Yankees doctors and an allergist found Verdugo is allergic to chromate and cobalt, two chemicals found in batting gloves. Basically, Verdugo is allergic to his batting gloves, which cause blisters and rashes on his hands. Holding a bat is painful.
Here is NJ.com with the details:
"My hands hurt," Verdugo told NJ Advance Media recently. "They blister. Then it opens and starts scabbing. It's like super dry skin. I've been dealing with this since they started barking in '21."
After examining Verdugo, the Yankees' medical team sent him to an allergist. They believed he was coming in contact with a material that was causing dermatitis, a skin condition that can produce rashes, itching and blisters.
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"Chromate is used in curing the leather," Verdugo said. "And cobalt is found in the color dyes."
Two doctors told NJ.com it's possible Verdugo's tattoos are contributing to his allergic reaction because the ink contains metals. Being allergic to certain metals is uncommon but not especially rare, and there are treatments available.
Verdugo tapes his hands and fingers every game to protect his skin, though that only helps so much, especially in the hot summer months when players sweat the most. Franklin, the company that manufactures Verdugo's batting gloves, is looking to develop gloves that do not contain chromate and cobalt. For now, Verdugo is continuing to grind through it.
Despite Verdugo's poor season, the Yankees have won 13 of their last 18 games and have the best record in baseball. Verdugo turned 28 in May and should be in the prime of his career, not posting his worst season, statistically.