Alex Verdugo dealing with unusual allergy to batting gloves

Alex Verdugo recently learned he’s allergic to two of the chemicals found in his Franklin battling gloves.

Alex Verdugo has struggled as of late in his first season with the Yankees. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Former Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo has struggled over the last couple of months with the Yankees. He might have found the cause of those struggles following a doctor’s appointment during the All-Star break.

Verdugo recently learned that he’s allergic to cobalt and chromate — two chemicals used in his Franklin batting gloves. He told New Jersey Media’s Randy Miller that he was surprised by the news, considering its unusual nature.

“Chromate is used in curing the leather,” Verdugo told Miller. “And cobalt is found in the color dyes.”

Even though Verdugo recently learned of the allergy, he’s been dealing with issues with his hands since his second season with the Red Sox. He told Miller that he was putting gauze and tape around his knuckles on a frequent basis due to the pain he felt in his hands and fingers.

“My hands hurt,” Verdugo told Miller. “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.”

Dr. Arthur Lubitz, an allergist in New York City, speculated to Miller that the metal ink in Verdugo’s tattoos (he has visible ink on both arms) could be the cause for the allergy, saying “you can get a tattoo allergy to the metal.”

It’s unclear if Verdugo’s tattoos are the cause of the allergies. But very few people are allergic to cobalt and chromate. Roughly two percent of the general population is allergic to cobalt, according to DermNet. Meanwhile, a study found that 6.8 percent of men tested in clinics over a five-year period were allergic to chromate, according to JDD online.

Even though he apparently dealt with constant pain in his hands during most of his time in Boston, Verdugo hit relatively well with the Red Sox. He hit .281 with a .761 OPS over four seasons, but his batting average dropped each year in Boston. He hit .264 in 2023, which was the lowest of his career since he was a bench player with the Dodgers in 2018.

Verdugo got off to a good start with the Yankees this season, hitting .266 with a .757 OPS and nine homers through June 14. His numbers have taken a precipitous fall since then, hitting .195 with a .533 OPS and one homer since June 15.

Verdugo’s slump coincided with the Yankees’ worst stretch of the season, going 22-27 in the last 49 games he’s been in the lineup.

While Verdugo’s allergies are certainly unusual, it isn’t an unprecedented situation in the sports world. Former NHL star Marian Hossa dealt with eczema as the result of an allergic reaction to his equipment, causing him to retire in 2017.