The New York Yankees will be without their All-World superstar outfielder Aaron Judge for the second time this season due to injury.
According to Manager Aaron Boone, Judge is set to be placed on the injured list after suffering a contusion and ligament sprain in his right big toe.
Fortunately, there are no fractures or breaks, as confirmed by team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad.
The injury occurred during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers when Judge made a running catch and collided with the outfield fence. Since then, he has been sidelined and had not played until now.
The Yankees place Aaron Judge on the IL due to a sprain and contusion in his right big toe, per Aaron Boone. pic.twitter.com/IuSSYg5yyK
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 7, 2023
Judge had previously spent time on the injured list earlier this season due to a right hamstring strain. Despite the setbacks, when healthy, Judge has been a standout performer, putting up impressive numbers with a batting average of .291, an on-base percentage of .404, and a slugging percentage of .674.
He has also hit 19 home runs and accumulated a bWAR of 2.2 in 49 games.
Manager Aaron Boone expressed optimism that Judge’s injury is not severe and that the focus now is on reducing the swelling.
“I think it definitely could have been worse. Hopefully it’s on the shorter side of things,” Boone said.
In addition to Judge, the Yankees also face another blow to their pitching depth. Nestor Cortes will join the injured list due to a left shoulder injury. Boone revealed that Cortes has been struggling to recover between starts, leading to the decision to sideline him.
Cortes, who has started 11 games this season, has recorded a 5.16 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 59⅓ innings pitched.
To fill the void left by Cortes, the Yankees have called up Randy Vasquez from Triple-A. Vasquez, a right-handed pitcher, made his major league debut on May 26 against the San Diego Padres, allowing two runs in 4⅔ innings pitched.
The Yankees received another concerning diagnosis as pitcher Ryan Weber was found to have a UCL strain.. Weber, a 32-year-old righty, has appeared in eight games this season, posting an impressive 3.14 ERA in 14 1/3 innings.
Boone stated that a decision regarding Weber’s course of treatment, whether it be rehabilitation or surgery, is yet to be made. The team will assess the situation and determine the best path forward.
With both Judge and Cortes just the latest to be sidelined, the Yankees suddenly face a rocky path ahead.
(On a related note, it was ten years ago yesterday that the Yankees drafted Aaron Judge in the 2013 MLB Draft.)
The Yankees drafted Aaron Judge with the #32 overall pick ten years ago today pic.twitter.com/TDfvocttGd
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 6, 2023