The New York Yankees loyalists feared the worst-case scenario when Heliot Ramos pinch-hit for Aaron Judge in the sixth inning on Wednesday. During the Yankees’ 5-4 extra-inning loss, Judge was caught grimacing on camera mid-game. The Yankees and manager Aaron Boone did not want to take any risks with their recently returned MVP and pulled him for the rest of the game. With no further update on Judge for the next hour, fans and broadcasters were free to speculate and worry.
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“There has to be an issue,” Joe Girardi, a former Yankee, said, serving as a broadcaster during the game.
Recovering from a first right rib stress fracture, the Yankees captain missed 84 games during that stretch. Once the doctor cleared him to play, Judge skipped a minor league rehab assignment to join the Yankees. Despite the looming postseason, the Yankees didn’t rush Judge. Instead, they built his workload gradually.
But Wednesday’s exit raised alarm bells, since Judge was playing after having Tuesday off. An hour after his exit, the Yankees announced that Judge left the game with tightness in his lower right leg. After the game, Judge spoke to the media and revealed that he had apparently been dealing with discomfort in his leg since the first inning on Wednesday.
“[I first felt something in my lower leg] there in the first inning,” Judge said, per YES Network. “I tried to kind of play it off and see how long it’d go because this game was very important down the stretch. Talked it over, thought it’d be the right move to come out so we don’t cost the team. I didn’t want to cost the team down the road. I can’t pinpoint it [to a certain play or movement.]”
On Wednesday, Judge went hitless in his 2 at-bats against the Twins starter Zebby Matthews. Despite the discomfort, Judge remained in the outfield until Ramos replaced him in the sixth. The Yankees were trailing 0-2 when Judge exited.
With Thursday off, the Yankees will take their time and wait to deliver a verdict on Judge. He will receive extensive treatment over the course of the next couple of days first.
“We’re not going to speculate one way or the other. We’ll just see how he responds,” manager Aaron Boone said postgame, per MLB.com.
During the series finale against the Twins, the Yankees did not score the tying run until Anthony Volpe doubled in the ninth. The Yankees could have used Judge’s bat, as the team took a one-run lead twice in extra innings, with Ali Sanchez and Jose Caballero driving in runs. However, the Twins rallied back every time, ultimately overcoming them in the bottom of the 13th. Victor Caratini drove in the winning run against John Schreiber.
The Yankees will next play the Arizona Diamondbacks on September 18, followed by a series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Overall, a high-stakes season’s end awaits the Yankees.