The New York Yankees are currently on a road trip to Texas, wherein they face the Texas Rangers in a four-game series. While the Bombers sealed the first game owing to Gerrit Cole’s steady outing, the team succumbed in the second game by 5-2 in the absence of their captain, Aaron Judge. Regardless, the series is very much open for both rivals.
Meanwhile, during the series opener, the Yankees received the worst possible news of the season. Aaron Judge, the captain and the lead slugger of the lineup, left the game midway for a routine check and never returned to the field. Utility player Oswaldo Cabrera filled in for him in the right field. After a series of speculations over the cause of the ejection, the Yankees came with a devastating update.
Aaron Judge To Undergo MRI, Yankees Call Up Replacement On Standby
New York Yankees captain, Aaron Judge, dealt with some discomfort after an awkward dive to steal a base against the Twins. While he resumed the game shortly after, the issue apparently lingered and aggravated on the next day against Texas. At the bottom of the fourth inning, the Yankees staff called Judge back to the tunnel for some necessary checks and did not allow him to resume. Further, after the game, the club confirmed that the slugger is feeling some discomfort in the hip and will miss at least the next couple of games.
Now, as per the latest report by the Athletic, Aaron Judge will undergo an MRI, and the results will determine the next course of action. The Yankees front office does not want to take any chance and has called up reinforcement. Jake Bauers, from the Triple-A minor league, has been called up and placed on the Taxi squad. He would travel with the team as a standby player as of now. He will only join the roster if Judge ends up on the IL. Jake has bossed the minors so far with nine homers and 20 RBIs. Hence, he deems the like-for-like replacement for Aaron Judge. Overall, as of this writing, the Yankees are awaiting Judge’s MRI result and have no return timeline in place.
Judge Worried About The Severity Of His Hip Injury
Aaron Judge apparently is not so confident about his early return. Despite showing signs of improvement, the slugger allegedly told his teammates that he was worried about the severity of the injury. Bob Klapisch of the NJ Media reported that the Yankees are privately freaking out with Judge’s recent statement. With a crowded IL, they cannot afford to lose their star slugger at this stage of the season.
On the other hand, New York Yankees skipper Aaron Boone has refused to provide a timeline for Aaron Judge’s possible return. He said the slugger woke up feeling better on Friday, and even if he ends up on the IL, it would most probably be a short stint. However, nothing is official for now as they still await the MRI results. Only the medical reports will determine what the future has in store for the Yankees captain, Aaron Judge.