Aaron Judge makes left field debut, Gerrit Cole dominates in Yankees’ 4-0 loss to Cardinals

It was a day of experimenting for the Yankees on Wednesday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

The Bombers want to get a look at Aaron Judge in left field this spring with the hope that they can get Giancarlo Stanton more reps in right field which will open up the DH spot for one of the club’s extra infielders and lengthen their lineup.

The early results? Not enough data to say one way or the other.

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Judge had just one ball hit in his direction — an uncatchable bloop single — during his 1-for-2 afternoon. The newly appointed Yankee captain made his first appearance in left field since 2016 when he was a member of the Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

No. 99 will get another opportunity to play left field Thursday against the Red Sox and if Aaron Boone wants to see his plan for Stanton in the outfield come to fruition, there will likely need to be more of a sample size for this new configuration.

“Best case scenario, we’re talking about 40-50-60 games [of Stanton in the outfield],” Boone said on the YES Network during the Yankees’ 4-0 loss to the Cardinals in Grapefruit League action. “If we can go a full season where we avoid IL stints … I’d like to get him out there 40-50-60 times.

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“I think he’s capable of that. I think it serves him well physically when he’s doing that and I think he likes that from a game standpoint to of being involved in the game some too.”

Judge, the AL single-season home run record holder, volunteered earlier in the spring to swap from his usual home in right field in order to get his fellow slugger time in the more comfortable portion of the Yankee Stadium outfield.

“I did mention it to them about, ‘If we need to get Big G in right field at Yankee Stadium, put me in left,’” Judge said on Feb 21. “I don’t mind it. I don’t mind switching around so we can have me, [center fielder Harrison Bader] and Big G out there. We’ll get some reps, hopefully, in spring training and get comfortable out there.”

Outside of the spring training jerseys, you would’ve never known that Wednesday’s game didn’t count watching Gerrit Cole on the mound.

The 32-year-old was dominant against the Cardinals striking out seven batters in 3.1 shutout frames working his pitch count up to 57. The right-hander lit up the radar gun sitting at 97 mph and topping out at 99.

“Just attacking the strike zone [is what I’m most pleased with],” Cole said after his performance. “Obviously seeing some of the hard work pay off in between starts. There was a couple of good cutters and I thought the slider improved as the game went on.”

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Boone made an informal announcement that Cole — to nobody’s surprise — would take the ball on March 30 against the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium to open up the 2023 campaign.

However, despite how crisp the Bombers’ top gun seemed, there are still a few more things to check off the list before heading north.

“43 more pitches [left to build up to a normal pitch count],” said Cole. “We got a few weeks to get there. Just keep building the foundation. Fastball command, breaking balls for strikes. My curveball has not been a strike recently so that needs to get a little bit better. Changeups have been in good spots but not strikes, I haven’t been able to get anyone fishing on it.

“Probably trying to get the breaking balls in the zone a little more [is the biggest thing].”

Wednesday, he was in center field.

Oswaldo Cabrera told the YES broadcast crew on Saturday afternoon that the position he most wanted to play was center field. He has never played there in his professional career.

Boone gave Cabrera his chance on Wednesday — subbing him in in the top of the sixth inning — and he proceeded to make a spectacular diving catch in the top of the eighth.

The 24-year-old played all over the diamond in 2022. He played 27 games in right field, nine in left, four at shortstop, three at third, first and second base.

Cabrera was called up to the majors on Aug. 17 of last season and managed to play six different positions during his short time. The switch-hitter is truly earning the “super-utility man,” title.

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Clarke Schmidt will take the ball for his second start of the spring continuing the battle for the Yankees’ fifth rotation spot — with Domingo German — on Thursday afternoon against the Red Sox in Tampa.