Could Alex Verdugo’s struggles this season be chalked up to his batting gloves?

The Yankees outfielder is battling blisters and sore hands due to a rare allergy to the chemicals cobalt and chromate – the same chemicals found in batting gloves and tattoos.

Verdugo told Randy Miller of NJ.com that he’s been dealing with this issue for three seasons, constantly wrapping his palms with gauze and knuckles with medical tape.

He saw an allergist over the All-Star break who told him he was likely having an allergic reaction to his batting gloves.

Allergies to cobalt are rare, with just two percent of the population affected while only six percent are allergic to chromate. Another doctor NJ.com spoke to suggested that the ink in tattoos could be a contributing factor to the allergy as well.

While it may be easy to point to this rare diagnosis as the reason for Verdugo’s struggles, the 28-year-old is not using it as an excuse for his performance.

“I’ve been hitting with these hands for the last three years, so I can’t say it’s because of my hands,” Verdugo said. “I don’t know. I cover my hands as best I can. I cover my knuckles. Every day I look like a boxer. I just want this to end.”

Verdugo, who is still using his batting gloves, is waiting to see if Franklin – the brand of batting gloves he uses – can make an alternative glove without the chemicals.

After being traded to the Yankees from the Red Sox this offseason, Verdugo jumped out to a strong start in his new home, but has struggled since June. He entered Saturday hitting .235/.294/.366 with 10 home runs, 53 RBI and a .660 OPS this season. His numbers are even worse since June 14 – when he homered in his return to Fenway Park – hitting just .205/.269/.300 since then.

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