BALTIMORE — Austin Romine had an X-ray on his left shin after fouling a ball off it in the second inning of the Yankees’ 10-4 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday night.
“It was good,” Romine said of the results after the Yankees dropped the series. “I’m fine.”
Romine finished the game, but he didn’t look fine as he limped through the clubhouse at Camden Yards with a softball-sized lump high on his shin.
If Romine is lost for any amount of time, Kyle Higashioka is on the disabled list with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with a rib cage injury, leaving Wilkin Castillo and Eddy Rodriguez as healthy alternatives, but neither is on the 40-man roster.
Gary Sanchez figures to catch in Toronto on Thursday and Friday nights, but Saturday is a day game.
That’s not the only health issue the Yankees are dealing with.
Jacoby Ellsbury is eligible to come off the 7-day concussion DL Thursday in Toronto, but he doesn’t expect to play after taking batting practice Wednesday.
“I don’t think so,” said Ellsbury, who will go to Toronto with the team. “I hope to get in there at some point this series, but I want to be symptom-free.”
The Yankees’ messy first base situation continues to be a work in progress, as Chris Carter sat for a second straight game in favor of Rob Refsnyder.
Refsnyder had a pair of hits on Wednesday — his first of the season — but the team remains in a holding pattern until Greg Bird is finally able to return from the bruised right ankle that has sidelined him for nearly a month.
Bird made at least some progress in that regard in Tampa on Wednesday when he played three innings in a simulated game. He is scheduled to play six innings on Thursday in his first rehab game with Class-A Tampa.
The first baseman has been sidelined for nearly a month from the injury he initially suffered at the end of spring training.
The Yankees’ offense has survived well in Bird’s absence, but Carter’s consistent lack of production kept him out of the lineup for consecutive games. Carter, who led the National League with 41 homers with the Brewers last season, is in a 2-for-28 slide with 15 strikeouts. Both hits were home runs.
Bryan Mitchell, who struggled on Tuesday in his first appearance in a week, was optioned to Triple-A SWB on Wednesday and was replaced on the roster by RHP Giovanny Gallegos, who gave up three runs in 1 ²/₃ innings Wednesday.
“[Mitchell] needs to pitch and get some consistent reps,’’ Girardi said. “He’ll go down there and start. Gallegos is used to being a bullpen guy. For [Mitchell], it’s important because I believe he’s going to help us at some point this year.”
Didi Gregorius, hit in the left wrist by a pitch on Tuesday, was held out of the starting lineup Wednesday, but said he could play, despite being sore.
“Of course I’m sore,” Gregorius said. “It’s better than I expected.”
Ronald Torreyes started at short.
Aroldis Chapman (left rotator cuff inflammation) played catch on Wednesday.
Brett Gardner finished a strong May by reaching base twice more in Wednesday’s loss.
“His month was really good,’’ Girardi said of the left fielder who hit nine homers in the month. “Power-packed is probably a good way to describe it. … I hope it continues into June.”