The Gio Urshela legend grows.
Already with a monster two-run homer Sunday night against the Red Sox, the defensively gifted Yankees infielder drew an even bigger reaction from the Yankee Stadium crowd in the sixth inning after fouling a ball hard off of each knee, only to stay in the game.
After each foul ball, Urshela went down to the ground, in what looked like agony. He was checked on by manager Aaron Boone and a trainer, refusing to come out, to the fans’ delight, drawing “Gio, Gio” chants.
He ended up grounding out but stayed in the game at third base for the seventh and eighth, before being removed in the ninth.
The injury scare came on a day when the Yankees had already placed outfielder Aaron Hicks (right flexor strain) on the injured list after seeing Edwin Encarnacion (broken right wrist) land there a day earlier.