Yankees star learns VERY unfortunate reason behind his three-year struggle with blisters on his hands
- Chemicals used in one piece of equipment have been a nightmare for one player
- READ MORE: 'Hawk Tuah' girl breaks silence after backlash to Mets first pitch
New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo recently discovered the source of serious irritation on his hands that he's been dealing with for several years.
Verdugo, who arrived in The Bronx this season, has been dealing with blisters on his hands that irritate him while batting since at least the 2021 season.
According to NJ.com's Randy Miller, the culprit behind the skin irritation is a simple piece of equipment used by a majority of players in the major leagues: batting gloves.
'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 says that the allergic reaction in his hands has been traced back to two chemicals in his batting gloves: cobalt and chromate.
Alex Verdugo says his batting gloves have been causing an allergic reaction on his hands
It's unclear where the issue stemmed from, but one doctor suggests tattoos could cause it
'Chromate is used in curing the leather,' he said. 'And cobalt is found in the color dyes.'
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Verdugo is not making any excuses for his struggles at the plate.
'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 suggested that tattoos that Verdugo has could be a cause to the inflammation because 'the tattoos are made of metal ink and you can get a tattoo allergy to the metal.
Verdugo is hopeful that Franklin, the company that makes his batting gloves, could come up with an alternative piece of equipment that doesn't use the same chemicals.
Alternatively, doctors say that an injectable shot 'could cure' the reaction.
According to Miller, Verdugo isn't believed to be the only Yankee dealing with this issue. Jasson Dominguez, the top prospect in New York's farm system, claims to be dealing with a similar issue.
Verdugo hopes that his glove maker, Franklin, can make him a product with different chemicals
Verdugo's time at the plate in The Bronx has been a bit of a mixed bag as the MLB season prepares to wind down.
He currently has ten home runs, 52 RBI, and a .237 batting average through 448 at bats in 117 games.
Last season, with the Boston Red Sox, Verdugo hit 13 homers and 54 RBI - but had a .264 batting average in the process.
Verdugo's batting average has precipitously dropped ever since he reportedly began experiencing issues with his hands.
He had a .308 batting average in the Covid-shortened 2020 season before dropping to .289 in 2021 when he started experiencing symptoms. From there, it dropped to .280 in 2022 and then .264 in 2023.
