The Yankees keep taking hits, and this latest one lands at the worst possible time. After losing the series to the Diamondbacks, the club now has to deal with Aaron Judge back on the Injured List, and the timing only adds to the frustration around a season that keeps getting rougher.
Judge had just returned after missing time with a rib injury, but he lasted only seven games before landing back on the shelf with a right calf strain. The issue is specifically in the soleus muscle, which Judge said "is a little more crucial with running and hitting," and the team still hasn’t said how severe the strain is.
"They haven't told me yet [grade of muscle strain]. But he did reveal that the strain was to the soleus muscle, which he said "is a little more crucial with running and hitting," said Judge.
Aaron Boone didn’t offer much more certainty.
"It doesn't matter what grade it is, said Aaron Boone."We're going to get him back, or we're not. That's what we're going to work to do, and we'll see."
The current hope is that Judge can be ready by the last game of the regular season and in position for the postseason. That’s where the anxiety really starts to build, because the Yankees are six games behind the Rays with seven games left, which points toward another Wild Card spot.
That would likely mean another matchup with the Red Sox, and without Judge in the lineup, that’s a scenario the Yankees would much rather avoid. The club’s season is nearly over, but the concern around Judge is only getting louder, especially with the team still searching for a postseason miracle.
In Other News...
Yankees Camilo Doval Trade Just Took Another Ugly Turn
Camilo Dovals journey since leaving the Yankees has turned into the kind of bullpen story teams hope to avoid. New York dealt him last year in search of relief help, and the Pirates followed by taking a look of their own before quickly moving on. Dovals stint in Pittsburgh was marked by shaky command and uneven results, as he posted a 3.79 ERA and 1.737 WHIP over 19 innings.
Pittsburghs decision to cut ties came as it cleared room to activate Kirby Yates, a move that only adds to the odd look of the trade tree. The Yankees, meanwhile, were left with catching prospect Omar Alfonzo, but the latest twist gives the deal an even rougher sheen for everyone involved in it. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Judge Concern Hangs Over Crucial Yankees Doubleheader
The Yankees head into a crucial doubleheader against the Rays still trying to make up ground in the AL East, and the timing could hardly be more unforgiving. They trail Tampa Bay by six games with seven to play, which leaves little margin for anything less than a strong day, and the focus remains squarely on whether Aaron Judge can return from the injured list after a right calf strain.
Judges absence has become the looming subplot around a series that already carries obvious postseason weight, especially with the playoff picture tightening by the hour. The day also comes with the usual added details that matter this late in September, including game times, pitching matchups, broadcast plans and betting lines for both ends of the doubleheader, but the bigger question for the Yankees is whether their captain can get back in time to help at all. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Just Ruined A Rays Moment Fans Would Have Hated
Cody Bellingers two-run homer in the fourth inning was all the Yankees needed in the opener of a day-night doubleheader, and Carlos Rodn made sure the lead never felt in danger. The left-hander worked eight scoreless innings, limiting Tampa Bay to three singles while picking up his 100th career win and becoming the latest Yankee to join the 1,500-strikeout club.
Nick Martinez gave the Rays a chance by going six innings and allowing just two runs on five hits, but New York still controlled the tone of the afternoon. For a Tampa Bay club that was looking to build any kind of momentum in a short set, the Yankees turned the first game into a clean, compact statement and left the day-night split with plenty still hanging on the second half. [Read more 🡒]