Aaron Judge’s return to the New York Yankees lineup has hit another potential speed bump, although the team is hoping its captain’s latest physical issue proves to be minor.
Judge left Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning because of tightness in his lower right leg. The Yankees replaced him with Heliot Ramos, who pinch-hit for Judge before remaining in the game in right field.
Judge had struck out in each of his two plate appearances against Minnesota starter Zebby Matthews.
The Yankees star said he first noticed the discomfort during the opening inning but initially attempted to continue playing. With the postseason approaching and Judge still working his way back into regular action, he and the team eventually decided there was little reason to push the issue.
That cautious approach makes plenty of sense considering how much time Judge has already missed.
Wednesday marked only his seventh game since returning from a lengthy stint on the injured list. Judge had been sidelined for more than three months because of a stress fracture in his first right rib, making his late-season return an important development for a Yankees club preparing for October.
Judge had also received a planned day off Tuesday as New York carefully managed his workload following the extended absence.
For now, there are at least some encouraging signs. Judge indicated after Wednesday’s game that he did not expect to need additional imaging and suggested the tightness could be one of the physical adjustments that comes with ramping up after a long layoff.
Manager Aaron Boone was understandably more cautious about putting a timetable on his captain’s return. The Yankees plan to treat the issue and see how Judge responds before determining when he will be ready to play again.
Fortunately for New York, the schedule provides an immediate opportunity for recovery. The Yankees are off Thursday before beginning a three-game road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.
Judge’s early departure was only the beginning of an eventful afternoon for New York.
The Yankees entered the ninth inning trailing Minnesota 2-0 before Anthony Volpe delivered a game-tying double with two outs. The game stretched deep into extra innings, but New York was unable to complete the comeback and eventually fell 5-4 in 13 innings.
The loss prevented the Yankees from completing a sweep of the Twins, but the larger concern coming out of Minneapolis will be the condition of their biggest offensive weapon.
New York has already secured a place in the postseason and still has meaningful baseball ahead in the AL East race. Having Judge healthy for that stretch, and more importantly for October, will be a priority.
For the moment, the Yankees can only treat the tightness, use Thursday’s off day to their advantage and hope their captain’s latest exit turns out to be nothing more than a brief interruption in his comeback.
