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NEW YORK — Aaron Judge appears to be responding to a second platelet rich plasma injection to his right big toe yet has not resumed baseball activities.

Judge was hurt June 3 when he ran into a wall while making a catch at Dodger Stadium. The Yankees announced the first injection on June 6 and said Judge had another last Thursday.

“I’m encouraged by what I’m seeing,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Tuesday’s series opener against Seattle. “He’s been slowly doing better and able to do more things, but do feel like hopefully that was the start of him really starting to make some real progress.”

Boone said the swelling subsided and Judge is able to do more activity on the toe while keeping balanced.

Judge is the reigning AL MVP after setting an AL record with 62 home runs last year. He is hitting .291 with 19 homers and 40 RBI, and the Yankees are 8-14 with Judge on the injured list and 31-19 when he has been available. They have lost eight of 12 since the latest injury.

Harrison Bader returned to the lineup Tuesday night for the first time since straining his right hamstring while running out an infield single at Seattle on May 29. The 29-year-old Gold Glove center fielder went 2 for 12 with five strikeouts in three minor league injury rehabilitation games with Double-A Somerset. He had originally hoped to rejoin the Yankees for last weekend’s series at Fenway Park.

“If I was put in a situation where I was in Fenway and I need to do something big for the team, I just wasn’t completely positive that that final gear was there,” Bader said. “Just didn’t really know what was on the other side of pushing it fully.”

Manager Aaron Boone is happy to have Bader back in the lineup.

“Just excited to get him back to what he means to us in the center of the diamond, his ability in center and the trickle-down effect that has of moving guys,” said Boone. “And then the threat he’s proven to be in the box from a power standpoint, from a speed standpoint. He’s a very dynamic athletic player, but a real anchor for us offensively and excited to get him back.”

Bader is hitting .267 with six homers, 19 RBI and six stolen bases in 26 games. He didn’t make his season debut until May 2 after straining his left oblique during spring training.

Last year, he was sidelined between June 26 and Sept. 20 by plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Bader was acquired by the Yankees from St. Louis at the trade deadline and hit five homers in nine postseason games.

“A lot of it just comes from how hard I play the game and how I attack the game, and that’s never going to change,” he said. “I think maybe picking your spots, maybe not over-lunging to try to beat out an infield single when I had base anyway. … It’s just about playing smart and (not) doing things over the top when they’re not necessary I think will help me stay on the field for for much longer.”

New York’s offense had struggled in the absence of Judge and Bader, entering the series with a .192 batting average and 49 runs in June, both major league lows. Anthony Rizzo was hitting .083 (4 for 48) with no homers and four RBI since injuring his neck in a collision at first base with San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr. on May 28.

DJ LeMahieu, the 2020 big league batting champion. is hitting .167 (15 for 90) with two homers and five RBI since May 14. Boone rested him from the Sunday night game as the Yankees got swept in a doubleheader at Boston and may rest him for the entire three-game series against Seattle.

“I just want him to kind of continue to work on some things he’s working on to kind of get him going and get unlocked,” Boone said. “Diving into a lot of video.”

Left-hander Carlos Rodón was to start Tuesday night for Somerset, his first game since a two-inning spring training outing for New York against Atlanta on March 5. Signed to a $162 million, six-year contract, Rodón has been sidelined by a strained left forearm followed by back pain.

“We’ve been pretty encouraged by how it’s gone here these last few weeks,” Boone said.

Rodón likely will make three rehab appearances, putting him on track to join the rotation in early July, just before the All-Star break.

Left-hander Nestor Cortes, who hasn’t pitched since May 30 because of a strained left rotator cuff, threw from 75 feet Tuesday.

Information from the Associate Press was used in this report.

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Makar 9th NHL blueliner with 30 goals in season

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Makar 9th NHL blueliner with 30 goals in season

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Avalanche star Cale Makar scored against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night to become the ninth defenseman in the NHL, and the first with Colorado, to score 30 goals in a season.

The sixth-year player is the NHL’s first defenseman to reach the 30-goal mark since Mike Green of the Washington Capitals had 31 in 2008-09.

Makar put the Avalanche up 5-2 by scoring a power-play goal with 38 seconds left in the second period. He was set up in the left circle for a one-timer by a pass from Nathan MacKinnon. He also had two assists as the Avalanche won, 7-3, to clinch their eighth consecutive playoff appearance.

Overall, NHL blue liners have now combined to reach 30 goals 18 times, led by Bobby Orr, who had five 30-goal seasons. Paul Coffey (four) and Denis Potvin (three) are the only others to have had multiple 30-goal seasons. The list is rounded out by Ray Bourque, Kevin Hatcher, Phil Housley and Doug Wilson.

With the goal and two assists, the 26-year-old Makar also increased his point total to 90, matching the franchise record for defenseman he set last season. In doing so, he became the NHL’s fifth defenseman to produce consecutive 90-point seasons, and first since Coffey (1988-89 to 1990-91) and Al MacInnis (1989-90 to 1990-91).

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Oilers keep pace for home ice, but lose Draisaitl

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Oilers keep pace for home ice, but lose Draisaitl

SAN JOSE, Calif. — NHL leading goal scorer Leon Draisaitl left the Edmonton Oilers‘ game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night in the second period because of an undisclosed injury and didn’t return.

Draisaitl appeared to be injured midway through the second period and skated gingerly to the bench before leaving for the dressing room. Coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game that he had no update on the severity of the injury.

Jeff Skinner scored the tiebreaking goal shortly after Draisaitl left the game, giving the Oilers a 3-2 victory that kept them within two points of the Los Angeles Kings in the race for second place in the Pacific Division and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“Obviously we’ve had some injuries to key guys,” Skinner said. “It’s a lot of opportunity for other guys to step up and I think guys have done a good job so far. We’re going to have to continue that and keep working together to get the results we want.”

Draisaitl had an assist earlier in the second period. He leads the NHL with 52 goals and is third in the league with 106 points.

Draisaitl sat out four games last month because of an undisclosed injury.

The Oilers are already without star center Connor McDavid, who has been sidelined since colliding with Winnipeg’s Josh Morrissey on March 20. McDavid has resumed skating with the team in a noncontact jersey but there is no timetable for his return.

The playoffs begin in just over two weeks.

“You never want to miss those guys,” Knoblauch said. “You never want your top players not to play because every time they’re not in, it decreases your chances of winning because they are good players, obviously. But what happens is other guys have some opportunities to play, get some confidence, hopefully score some goals, because we’re going to need them.”

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Blues’ Holloway exits with lower-body injury

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Blues' Holloway exits with lower-body injury

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis forward Dylan Holloway left the Blues’ 5-4 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first period Thursday night because of a lower-body injury.

Blues coach Jim Montgomery had no additional information on the injury after the game.

“We’ll have more, I’m sure, tomorrow,” Montgomery said.

The team announced the injury during the first intermission and said he would not return to the game. It was not clear when Holloway was injured.

Holloway had eight shifts in the first period.

Holloway has been a driving force in the Blues’ 11-game winning streak, which ties a franchise record. He has 26 goals and 37 assists in 77 games this season.

“Obviously, that’s an elite player for us, someone who plays in all situations, and, you know, a really important piece to our team,” forward Jake Neighbours said. “We had to focus on the task at hand. … it sucked losing Dylan, and just hope he’s OK.”

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