Yankees' Verdugo allergic to batting gloves: 'My hands hurt'
New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo is in the midst of the worst offensive campaign of his career, and batting gloves might have something to do with it.
"My hands hurt," Verdugo told Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media.
"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."
Verdugo, who wraps his palms with gauze and his knuckles with medical tape to help alleviate the pain, had a doctor's appointment over the All-Star break to take a look at the issue, Miller adds.
The 28-year-old was sent to an allergist, where it was determined he was coming into contact with materials that caused dermatitis. The materials, cobalt and chromate, were in his batting gloves.
"Chromate is used in curing the leather," Verdugo said. "And cobalt is found in the color dyes."
Franklin, the manufacturer of Verdugo's batting gloves, is looking into other options for him that don't contain cobalt or chromate.
Additionally, doctors suggested to Miller that Verdugo's dermatitis could be related to his tattoos. The Yankees outfielder is considering the use of a biological drug to help.
Verdugo is slashing .235/.294/.366 with 10 home runs and 53 RBIs in 118 games during his first campaign with the Yankees. He's a free agent after this season.