The New York Yankees continue to feel the absence of captain Aaron Judge, whose fractured right rib has no definitive timeline for re-imaging, leaving the team without a clear date for his return. Manager Aaron Boone described the recent weekend series as "terrible," particularly highlighting the team's offensive struggles in a 5-4, 10-inning loss to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
For the third consecutive game, the Yankees failed to record a hit until at least the fifth inning. Sunday's game saw them go hitless against former Yankee Sonny Gray until the eighth inning. Overall, the team scored only five runs across the first three games of the series, with their lone breakthrough on Sunday occurring due to a defensive collapse in the ninth inning. Their performance in clutch situations has also been poor, with a 7-for-72 batting average with runners in scoring position since June 18.
The offensive void left by Judge has had a noticeable impact on other players, including first baseman Ben Rice. Rice's performance has dipped since Judge's injury; his OPS was 1.056 in 54 games before Judge's absence, compared to .686 in 23 games afterward. He entered Sunday's game in a 2-for-28 slump.
"Certainly, having Aaron Judge in the lineup changes our team in a profound way," Boone said before Sunday's game. Hitting coach James Rowson acknowledged the difficulty but expressed confidence in the team's ability to bounce back. "Pitchers gameplan against Ben Rice. Maybe it's tougher for him now, but he's capable and ready for it. We've got to bounce back," Rowson stated.
Since Judge's injury four weeks ago, the Yankees have posted a 12-12 record. Prior to June 1, the team led the league in home runs and ranked second in OPS and fourth in runs scored with Judge in the lineup. Since June 1, they are tied for sixth in home runs but have fallen to 19th in runs scored and 22nd in OPS. Boone characterized his team as an "incomplete and unfinished product" in Judge's absence.