New York Yankees Are Struggling With Aaron Judge’s Absence
Aaron Judge’s catch through the right-field wall during the Yankees’ three-game series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles last weekend stands out among the many events that took place.
The Dodgers could have had a huge inning coming, but the defending AL MVP raced down the liner and snagged the ball before smashing through the chain link fence and into the bullpen.
There is no fracture, according to manager Aaron Boone, and there is no set date for Judge’s return to the lineup. Judge was given a platelet rich plasma injection and has an official diagnosis of ligament sprain and contusion. The AL MVP for 2022 is spending his second season on the IL at this time.
"HE IS SUPERMAN!" 🗣
Aaron Judge with an incredible catch 😮
(via @Yankees)pic.twitter.com/ceSZqz0Mwj
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 4, 2023
Judge, 31, was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday night due to a toe bruise and toe ligament strain. The Yankees have lost him to injury twice already this year. Additionally sidelined from April 28 to May 8 due to an injured right hip, the 6-foot-7, 282-pound slugger.
Shohei Ohtani’s 18th home run of the season puts him one behind Aaron Judge for the American League lead! pic.twitter.com/W8xnF9oPxu
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 11, 2023
New York Yankees Are Struggling With Aaron Judge’s Absence
No player, in my opinion, is more essential to the success of any team than Judge. Even though Judge is fit and active, the club often follows his lead: if he doesn’t hit or score runs, the offense frequently sputters as a result.
Aaron Hicks flourishing in Baltimore is proof that the Yankees have awful hitting coaches pic.twitter.com/DQylF7KXw7
— Dom (@BronxBmbrz) June 11, 2023
Without Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees are having trouble scoring runs. Since the last Los Angeles Dodgers series game, the skipper has been injured.
UPDATE‼️The swelling in Aaron Judge’s toe has subsided 🙏🙏 #RepBX pic.twitter.com/bUFcXC93os
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) June 11, 2023
Judge could claim that the catch was worthwhile since it prevented a run from scoring and altered the outcome, possibly enabling the club to win the road series against a team that had 111 wins the year before.
Aaron Boone on the Gleyber Torres error in the 8th inning pic.twitter.com/AkwsVlwAVQ
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 12, 2023
Even while it’s felt across the entire organization, the clubhouse is where it’s most noticeable because those men have to make up for the irreplaceable. They likely miss him more than the fans do.
– Most HR’s since 2022: Aaron Judge (80)
– Most HR’s since 2021: Aaron Judge (119)
– Most HR’s since 2020: Aaron Judge (128)
– Most HR’s since 2018: Aaron Judge (182)
– Most HR’s since 2017: Aaron Judge (234) pic.twitter.com/1ZhKipBx5A
— ZT (@NY_EvilEmpire) June 3, 2023
“He’s a 70-homer threat, and that’s legit,” Gerrit Cole said. “He’s that good.”
They only hope that Judge’s amazing grab at Dodger Stadium last weekend didn’t result in his smashing into the fence rather than serving as the season’s turning point. But they are concerned.
Domingo German and the Yankees’ timely hitting helped them defeat the Red Sox. “Maybe he shouldn’t have caught that ball,” one teammate bluntly stated.
The exact moment Aaron Judge broke the entire Blue Jays organization pic.twitter.com/3T55DIKHUo https://t.co/SYmSei057u
— Joey (@DJLeMVP) June 6, 2023
They have gone 3-3 without him, with a high water mark of five runs coming in a defeat to the Chicago White Sox, no less.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa said: “With both Judge and Harrison Bader on the IL, it is forcing me into more regular outfield duties.”
“We’ve got to find different ways to win. We miss our captain. But at the same time we have to deal with the blow. We definitely miss him. But at the same time, we believe in ourselves.”
Yankees take game two! pic.twitter.com/DAGcujNGR2
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 11, 2023
Their pitchers must perform brilliantly right away, and Domingo German did it once more on Saturday. The No. 5 starter continues to perform better with clean hands despite a criminal record that includes two warnings for having sticky fingers and one suspension. Although he didn’t have any perfect innings, it’s a good sign that he may be discovering that he can succeed on his own.
Sunday Series Finale. #RepBX pic.twitter.com/0zO1bc30vv
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 11, 2023
The comeback of Aaron Judge to save the Yankees still has no set date. There is good news, though. Judge’s toe is not fractured, according to the club, which would have likely prevented him from playing the remainder of the season.
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