Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are two of the most important power hitters of the New York Yankees. Then, adding Juan Soto to that list actually completes the ‘Big 3’ power-hitting lineup of the NY side. These three guys have been performing really well this season since the start. However, the 2022 AL MVP had a pretty slow start to the current season. Initially, it scared the fans in the Bronx. However, in May, the kind of turnaround that the 16th captain of the franchise showed was unbelievable. In April, he took seven games to hit his first home run of the season.
But coming to June, he leads the league with 28 home runs. That says a lot about the genius that Aaron Judge is. Moreover, it is great news for the Yankees that the captain is going through a hot streak. However, things can turn blue in no time, as history likes to warn the fans. Moreover, the Bronx Bombers have been facing a lot of injury issues lately. For instance, Giancarlo Stanton missed Sunday’s game as Aaron Judge played the role of the Designated Hitter.
Aaron Judge Was The New DH In Absence Of Stanton
On Sunday, Aaron Boone used the Yankees captain at the position of the Designated Hitter in the series finale against the Atlanta Braves. Aaron Judge batted third because Giancarlo Stanton is out with a hamstring injury. Moreover, the Yankees put Stanton on the Injured List on Sunday ahead of the series finale. The captain of the NY side might get more turns as the Designated Hitter. And as a result, Trent Grisham will get more reps in the outfield, as per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. So far, in the month of June, Aaron Judge has smashed eight home runs with a boasted OPS of 1.351. His blistering performances saw him slash .381/.494/.857. The Yankees captain seems to be a lone ranger for his team in the last few games.
Several key players, including Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo, have not been performing at their very best in the last three series. Moreover, the starting pitchers, like Luis Gil and Carlos Rodon, had some shocking outings in the last few games. As a result, the Yankees went through a three-straight series loss. The third one came against the Atlanta Braves. On Sunday, Nestor Cortes had a good game. But the offense of the team let him down as the Yankees scored only one run. Perhaps the absence of Stanton and Anthony Rizzo can create a big void in the lineup.
Yankees Dealing With More Injury Issues Lately
After Sunday’s loss against the Braves, Giancarlo Stanton told the media, including YES Network that his hamstring injury will take more or less “Four weeks” to recover. Later, he explained how frustrating this injury is, saying, “My feelings don’t really matter, need four weeks to recover.” Moreover, a week ago, the Yankees placed Anthony Rizzo on the 10-day Injured List.
Rizzo had a terrible collision again, like a Deja Vu from 2023 and fell hard on his right hand. On the other hand, in the minor league, the top prospect, Jasson Dominguez, suffered a “Significant oblique strain.” He will be out for another month or two. Hence, the Yankees don’t have much replacement available to bolster their offense as of now.
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