During the New York Yankees’ 13-inning, 5-4 defeat against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday afternoon, three-time MVP Aaron Judge departed the game ahead of schedule due to what was subsequently diagnosed as stiffness in his lower right leg. Before being substituted by pinch-hitter Heliot Ramos during the sixth frame, Judge had recorded two strikeouts in two plate appearances.
“He mentioned experiencing a minor sensation following the opening inning. With any luck, we managed to address it early,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone noted post-game, stating that Judge’s availability for upcoming matchups remains uncertain. “… He is going to receive therapy and care. He has clearly undergone quite a bit of rehabilitation already. We will continue therapy tomorrow and evaluate his condition from there.”
An upper right rib fracture sidelined Judge for the entirety of June, July, and August. He rejoined the Bronx Bombers on September 8 without participating in any minor-league tune-up games. On Monday evening, he smashed his first home run since coming back—a massive blast into the left-field upper deck—followed by a scheduled day off on Tuesday, prior to his premature departure on Wednesday.
“Clearly, he plays a crucial role in our plans,” Boone remarked further. “We need to get this resolved through therapy so he can contribute down the road.”
While New York has secured a postseason spot, any lingering physical issue for Judge severely threatens their ambitions of overtaking the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL East crown, as well as their prospects of a deep postseason campaign. Following Wednesday’s defeat, the Yankees trailed the Rays by four games, awaiting the result of Tampa Bay’s contest later that evening. A crucial four-game head-to-head series between the rivals is set for next week.
Below is the upcoming schedule for New York:
A doubleheader scheduled for September 22 between the Yankees and Rays, along with their four-game matchup, represents the primary reason New York still holds a mathematical chance at the AL East title, improbable as it may be. Tampa Bay currently holds a 6-4 advantage in their season matchups, which means securing just a single victory next week will seal the tiebreaker for the Rays, virtually extending their division advantage by an extra game.
By the numbers: Should the Rays finish their last 12 matches with a 6-6 record, the Yankees would need to post a 9-1 record over their final 10 contests to claim the division—provided they sweep the four-game set to secure the tiebreaker—or go undefeated at 10-0 otherwise. If they fail to secure the AL East title, New York will most likely welcome the fifth seed (a spot presently held by the Boston Red Sox) to Yankee Stadium for the Wild Card matchup.
Additionally, the Bronx Bombers are missing center fielder Trent Grisham, who is dealing with a strained hamstring and might be sidelined for the rest of the regular season, leaving his postseason availability uncertain. Should Judge require time off, Ramos is expected to reclaim the starting right fielder position. Acquired at the trade deadline, Ramos was a daily fixture in the outfield until Judge’s activation, after which he transitioned to a platoon assignment.
With Boston’s pitching staff leaning heavily toward left-handers, having Judge’s powerful right-handed bat missing from the lineup would be a massive disadvantage in a prospective Wild Card matchup.
“It literally just occurred, so I don’t have any updates or answers yet,” Judge remarked to members of the media, including the New York Daily News, regarding potential imaging or medical examinations on his leg. “Though I would guess it is unlikely.”
Through 66 appearances this year, Judge has posted a slash line of .241/.360/.511, contributing 18 homers along with 41 runs batted in. Having claimed the American League MVP award in the last two seasons and three times over the past four years, his presence at full strength is essential for the Yankees to pose a serious threat in October.
With Wednesday’s setback, New York’s record fell to 88-64. They have already secured their ticket to the playoffs and cannot finish lower than the second wild-card position. The team boasts a 41-25 record when Judge starts, compared to a 47-39 mark in his absence.
