Yankees Face Aaron Judge Dilemma as Playoff Race Heats Up
A tight lower right leg threatens to disrupt Aaron Judge's timing and potentially impact his availability for the Yankees as the postseason approaches.
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge is dealing with a tight lower right leg, creating uncertainty about his availability as the team navigates crucial games leading up to the playoffs. The injury, which flared up during Wednesday's game against the Twins, comes at a critical time for Judge, who has been working to regain his timing after a previous rib stress fracture.
The Yankees will have an off day on Thursday for Judge to receive further treatment, but his status for Friday's series opener against the Diamondbacks remained unclear. The upcoming three-game series on turf presents a potential challenge, as the team often exercises caution with players nursing soft-tissue leg injuries on artificial surfaces.
There is a possibility the Yankees will prioritize Judge's health for the postseason, potentially holding him out of the weekend series against the Rays. While the division race is important, the team may opt to ensure Judge is fully prepared for playoff competition rather than risk aggravating his injury by playing him in crucial regular-season games.
In a sign that the Yankees might not be immediately calling up an injury replacement, Jasson Domínguez and Max Schuemann were reportedly in the lineup for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday night. However, this does not preclude a call-up in the coming days.
If the Yankees believe Judge can return before the regular season concludes, they may avoid placing him on the injured list, which would necessitate his absence through Game 161. Given the expanded rosters, the team might be willing to play short-handed for a few days.
Prior to leaving Wednesday's game, Judge was batting .174 with one home run and a .513 OPS in his first seven games back from a three-month absence due to a right rib stress fracture. He had been expected to return to full activity by Friday, aiming for consistent at-bats to re-establish his rhythm.
"I feel like you deal with this every spring training," Judge said Wednesday. "Usually start of the season once you start ramping up again, things pop up and that’s where we’ve been — thankfully this whole time coming back, nothing’s really nagged us. So hopefully, it’s just one little thing and we’re back out there soon."