Captain Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees’ star hitter and captain, returned to the lineup after two-month long absence. He sustained a toe injury on June 3, which took ages to heal. However, the captain picked up from where he left off as he homered in his second game post-return. He also drives two RBIs despite not being fully 100%.
Owing to Aaron Judge and Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s late heroics, the New York Yankees secured a thumping 8-3 win. However, in the series finale, the Bronx Bombers decided to bench Judge, which baffled the fans. To make matters worse, the Yanks ended up losing the game and series, which further enraged the fans. After a massive uproar, Aaron Boone offered a viable explanation and suggested that it was in the best interest of the captain’s long-term health.
“We Kind Of Had To Do It,” Aaron Boone On Benching Aaron Judge In Yankees 9-3 Loss To Orioles
New York Yankees management made a bold move as they rested Aaron Judge for the series finale against Baltimore Orioles, especially after his heroics led to a win in the previous fixture. As the team lost the series on Sunday, fans began asking questions. The team is currently playing a crucial 13 games stretch which might determine their playoff odds. Hence, the fans were left baffled. Owing to the uproar on the internet, Yankees manager Aaron Boone issued an explanation. He said that Judge wasn’t supposed to take the field on Saturday. His initial plan only allowed him to come out as a DH. As a result, the team had to give him an off day to avoid additional pressure on his injured toe, which is, in fact, not fully healed.
Aaron Boone further explained that since Aaron Judge did not play any rehab games, they are treating his initial few games in the majors as rehab. Even though the captain wasn’t on board with the plan, it was a collective decision of the manager and the medical staff. While Boone initially was open to pinch-hit Judge, the slugger stayed on the bench the whole time. Moreover, the captain probably has a few off days on schedule as the Yankees are practicing extreme caution with his health. Having said that, the team is hopeful to have their captain on the lineup for the upcoming 10 crucial games, wherein they are scheduled to face Astros and Rays.
Yankees Captain Not Ready To Give Up On The Season Just Yet!
Following a series loss to the Orioles, the New York Yankees slipped four games below the playoff wildcard spot. Despite the team’s miserable state, the captain, Aaron Judge, feels the Yanks are still in playoff contention. Judge said he isn’t counting the team out of the postseason just yet. They will take one day at a time and not dwell on what went wrong in the past.
Aaron Judge feels that if the Yankees continue to show up each day and deliver, they will very much find themselves in the playoff race. The optimism has been raging in the Yankees camp ever since the captain returned to the lineup. However, time is running out. The team has less than 60 games on their deck from now. If they fail to come out on top in the next 10 games, the whole team, including Judge, should perhaps drop the playoff dream.
