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When the New York Yankees kept the injured Aaron Judge out of the lineup for Saturday's game versus the Philadelphia Phillies, fans quickly realized bad news was likely coming. Although, following a 9-4 home loss, they should be grateful the diagnosis is not worse.
Manager Aaron Boone revealed that the two-time American League MVP is headed to the injured list with a flexor strain, per ESPN's Jorge Castillo. The hope is that he will return after a 10-day stint.
Yankees fans could change their pants now as disaster has seemingly been averted. The organization will now focus on making sure Judge's injury does not advance into UCL surgery territory, which will entail a gradual ramp-up process.
Upon rejoining the lineup, the seven-time All-Star will operate as a designated hitter until his elbow is strong enough to withstand outfield duties. Giancarlo Stanton may have to grab a glove during that time.
Judge experienced visible discomfort after making a throw in Tuesday's game versus the Toronto Blue Jays. He played in Friday's loss to the Phillies, going 0-for-3 with an RBI, but it is clear the Yankees do not want to take any more chances with the face of the franchise. Everyone knows how vulnerable this team can be when he is out of action.
Heck, New York (56-48) has been floundering with a healthy Aaron Judge, falling six games behind the Blue Jays in the AL East. If he were to suffer a season-ending injury, this slumping squad could conceivably tumble right out of the playoff picture.
That could happen anyway, considering how tight the Wild Card race is at the moment. Braving 10 straight games (no days off) without one of the greatest players of this generation is bound to test this entire fan base's mental well-being. It will also show how deep this group truly is.
Yankees must tread water without Aaron Judge
Judge's magnificent campaign, which includes a .342 batting average, 37 home runs, a .711 slugging percentage and 1.160 OPS, is obviously a massive reason why the Yankees sit atop the MLB rankings in multiple offensive categories. But he is not the only dependable contributor on this club.
Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt are looking like stellar offseason pickups; Trent Grisham is one of the biggest surprises in the league; and Jazz Chisholm Jr. is sneakily posting an .846 OPS. Giancarlo Stanton and Ben Rice are each brandishing a powerful bat in their own right.
This lineup is deeper than it has been in a while. But it does shrink considerably when No. 99 is inactive.
Aaron Boone can only hope that New York has enough established talent to avoid a complete collapse over the next week and a half. An undoubtedly antsy Aaron Judge will look to breeze through this rehab process without sustaining any setbacks.
