Yankees' Alex Verdugo Discusses Having Allergic Reaction to His Batting Gloves
August 16, 2024
New York Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo has dealt with irritation in his hands for several years now, and he's finally found the potential cause of the pain.
Per NJ.com's Randy Miller, Verdugo recently found out that the pain in his hands could be caused by an allergic reaction to his batting gloves. He said he's been dealing with the reaction since 2021.
"My hands hurt," Verdugo said. "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 said that the allergic reaction was traced back to two chemicals in his batting gloves: cobalt and chromate.
"Chromate is used in curing the leather," he said. "And cobalt is found in the color dyes."
While he's ready to find a solution to the allergic reaction, he isn't ready to make excuses.
"I've been hitting with these hands for the last three years, so I can't say it's because of my hands," Verdugo said. "I don't know. I cover my hands as best I can. I cover my knuckles. Every day I look like a boxer. I just want this to end."
According to Miller, one doctor, Dr. Arthur Lubitz, suggested that Verdugo's tattoos could also be what's caused the inflammation.
"It's probably the tattoos," Lubitz said. "It's very rare, but the tattoos are made of metal ink and you can get a tattoo allergy to the metal."
But Verdugo isn't the only Yankee dealing with the issue. One of New York's top prospects, Jasson Dominguez, also reported similar symptoms. Dominguez uses Nike batting gloves while Verdugo uses Franklin batting gloves.
Verdugo is waiting to see if Franklin can make an alternative batting glove that doesn't have the same chemicals, but Lubitz also recommended Dupixent, an injectable shot that "could cure" the reaction.
In the meantime, Verdugo will look to fight through the discomfort while helping the Yankees put together a strong postseason run. He currently has 10 homers, 52 RBI and a .237 batting average despite having to deal with an allergic reaction.
