Aaron Judge triggers intense panic after sudden injury exit just days into MLB return
Aaron Judge’s return hit another bump as the Yankees captain exited early against the Twins, raising concerns just days before the playoffs.
The New York Yankees have already secured their spot in the playoffs and remain focused on winning another World Series , but a new concern emerged Wednesday involving their biggest star: Aaron Judge .
The Yankees captain, who had just returned from the injured list last week, was forced to leave the game against the Minnesota Twins, creating uncertainty within the organization and among fans.
UPDATE: Judge’s exit was caused by “right lower leg tightness,” according to Meredith Marakovits of the YES Network .
The reason for his early departure was initially unknown. Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reported that the outfielder was removed from the game before it ended, while also suggesting it could have been a planned rest decision.
“Judge out of the game early. Not sure what that's about. But we get all crazy; there's a chance Boone is giving him a half-game before the flight to Arizona and the off day tomorrow. The Yankees like to do a lot of ‘rest day before the off day,’ and maybe this is half that,” Kuty wrote on X , formerly Twitter .
“Then again, he had off yesterday,” Kuty continued. “ And they're skipping Judge's at-bat when they could have given him the at-bat and THEN taken him out. Who knows.”
However, the situation raised eyebrows because Judge had already received a day off the previous game, and New York decided not to give him another plate appearance before removing him.
Aaron Judge had just returned from a lengthy absence
The timing of the issue made the situation even more concerning. Judge missed more than three months of the season due to a rib injury and was only activated from the 60-day injured list last week .
The slugger exited the game in the sixth inning, with Heliot Ramos stepping in as a pinch hitter. During the broadcast, former Yankees manager and current analyst Joe Girardi suggested that “there has to be an issue” for the team to make that decision.
The Yankees are hoping the injury is not serious, especially with the postseason approaching. Judge’s health will be one of New York’s biggest storylines as the franchise continues its pursuit of another championship.
