A new shipment arrived from Franklin on Saturday, and Alex Verdugo quickly unwrapped a new Spencer Steer Jersey pair of batting gloves. They feel the same, Verdugo said before an eventual . Im kind of surprised same color combo, nothing different. What is different, according to Franklin, the company that is the official supplier of Major League Baseball batting gloves, is the chemicals used in the production of the gloves. No cobalt or chromate was used, Franklin told Verdugo, in response to his surprising diagnosis of being allergic to his own batting gloves, a discovery first reported by NJ Advance Media. Alex Verdugo homered for the first time since July 6 on Saturday. Robert Sabo for NY Post What might also be different is his results at the plate: Verdugos first game with the new gloves was promising. He smoked a fourth-inning home run to right-center, his first dinger since July 6, and was robbed of hits a couple times on a 1-for-3 afternoon with a walk. Hours beforehand, Verdugo shined a light on the back of his hands to reveal red blotches and blisters that he said he first began noticing in 2021 or 22. Explore More He knew immediately that something was ami s: He was used to calluses and blisters and bruises that built up from constant swings, but on the palms of his hands not on the other side. Unsure what was wrong, Verdugo began taping his hands underneath his batting gloves. It took until this years All-Star break, when he made an appointment with a doctor, that he learned the surprise cause of the irritation. Perhaps it has affected the hitting of an outfielder who started so well this year before falling into a deep spiral. Since June 4, the 28-year-old entered play hitting just .198 with a pair of home runs and had been among the games worst hitters. Verdugo does not know the extent to which the blisters have affected him, but he is relieved he believes he has found a cause to his hand i sues and a solution. Im happy. Well see, Verdugo said before the game. Hopefully we can use them with no tape on my hands and well see how it goes. It just makes it a lot easier to do a lot more things. New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo (24) waits for his turn at bat with his custom painted bat in the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports Manager Aaron Boone was encouraged not just by Verdugos day but his past couple games, in which he has begun hitting the ball hard and, apart from the home run, has not had enough to show for it. Just keep plugging away at it, Boone said of Verdugo. Ricky Karcher Jersey