Without Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees are merely a weak team struggling to secure wins in low-scoring games.
The 2022 MVP and undisputed best player on the Yankees, Judge, sustained an injury while sliding into third base during Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins. The decision to steal third base with a five-run lead raises questions, but now the Yankees must deal with the repercussions of losing his powerful presence at the top of their lineup.
The Yankees cant afford to lose Aaron Judge for a prolonged period:
On Friday, the Bombers fielded a remarkably lackluster lineup against the Texas Rangers, resulting in a 5-2 loss and a barely-contested game.
It is evident how much the team misses Judge when he is not in the lineup. However, manager Aaron Boone suggested that Judge’s right hip injury does not appear to be too severe. Naturally, the coaching staff and players are anxious about the situation and might be downplaying the severity of the injury.
“It doesn’t seem too serious,” Boone said, but he also mentioned that the test “showed” something.
If the test revealed any injury concerns, the Yankees will exercise caution, sidelining Judge for at least a few days. It would not be surprising if he were placed on the 10-day injured list, allowing him ample rest and freeing up a roster spot in the interim.
“It seems like it could be a day-to-day (situation),” he said, “but it could also be a short (IL) stint.”
Following Friday’s defeat, Boone demoted Franchy Cordero to Triple-A after another disappointing showing. Cordero has failed to reach base in eight consecutive games, prompting the Yankees to seek fresh talent in the form of Jake Bauers, who has been excelling in Triple-A with remarkable statistics.
Judge is known for his resilience in the clubhouse, often trying to play through injuries and conceal any lingering issues. The fact that he agreed to stop playing suggests the injury might be more serious than the Yankees are admitting.
However, their star player had participated in all 25 games leading up to this incident, indicating that he was likely in need of some rest. While a few days on the IL will certainly impact the Yankees, it is better for this to occur now rather than later in the season.
“(Judge is) about as tough as they come. If he has to come out of the game, it’s not good.”
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