MLB notes: Luke Voit thought his jaw was broken when hit by pitch

When Yankees slugger Luke Voit was scared when he was first hit by a pitch from Colorado’s Chad Bettis. Voit remembered when Giancarlo Stanton’s jaw was broken by Milwaukee’s Mike Fiers five years ago.

“I thought broken jaw. My teeth were going to be all scattered everywhere,” Voit said Sunday. “I grabbed my face. So I was like, `Oh, oh.’ But then, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Just a scary thing.”

Voit was back in the New York Yankees’ lineup at first base for Sunday’s series finale against Colorado. His jaw was “super sore” when he awoke, but after icing there was only a little swelling. He said it felt as if he had been punched, and there was a slight cut on his chin. Concussion tests were negative.

Part of the force of the 91 mph pitch was absorbed when the ball grazed Voit’s shoulder. He also was able to turn his face slightly.

“I dodged a bullet, got lucky,” said Voit, who planned to try a protective chin strap on his helmet before the game.

Left fielder Brett Gardner was scratched from the lineup because of a knee that was “barking,” according to manager Aaron Boone, and he replaced by Mike Tauchman. Boone said he expects Gardner will be available for Monday night’s trip opener at Minnesota.

Stanton, limited to nine games this season, is not close to returning from his latest injury. He strained his left biceps on March 31 in his third game, strained a shoulder and calf during his rehabilitation and returned June 18. In his sixth game back, he strained the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during an awkward headfirst slide into third base against Toronto on June 25.

“Better, but still slow. Not baseball activities yet,” Boone said. “He feels like he is making some progress, where I think the first couple of weeks was a little frustrating in that it was slow moving.”

Stanton is hitting .290 with one home run and seven RBIs, pretty much a non-factor in the Yankees’ season.

Outfielder Cameron Maybin, sidelined since straining his left calf on June 21, is to start a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre on Tuesday.

Ace Luis Severino and setup man Dellin Betances, both sidelined since spring training by lat injuries, started throwing on flat ground last Monday but are not yet ready to begin bullpen sessions, making returns before late August unlikely.

“I would say sometime in early part of next month they should be on the mound if everything continues to go well,” Boone said.

Etc.

Left-hander Drew Smyly finalized his contract with Philadelphia and was set to start against Pittsburgh in his Phillies debut. The 30-year-old was 1-5 with an 8.42 ERA in nine starts and four relief appearances this year for Texas, which released him on June 25. Right-hander Fernando Salas was designated for assignment to open a roster spot. ...

Outfielder Keon Broxton has been designated for assignment by the Baltimore Orioles, who grew weary of waiting for him to hit. Broxton was obtained from the New York Mets on May 22. He homered on the first pitch he saw as an Oriole but ended up batting only .204 with four homers and nine RBIs in 37 games. Anthony Santander and Stevie Wilkerson are expected to get the majority of playing time in center for the rebuilding Orioles.