The New York Yankees are now holding their breath when it comes to slugger Aaron Judge.
New York Yankees star outfielder Aaron Judge just came back from a long injury stint, giving the team some hope for the upcoming playoff run.
But Judge was removed early in Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Twins. Judge was pinch-hit for in the sixth inning, ending his day against Minnesota.
However, in his final at-bat, video shows that Judge grimaced after taking a pitch. The Yankees removing him could be more precautionary than anything, especially with a day off on Thursday.
But this is something that all fans in New York and the baseball world will be keeping an eye on.
Judge did throw a ball in from right field after a double in the fifth inning, but it remains unclear why he was removed. But if the star is forced to miss any more time, it could be detrimental to the Yankees' chances this year.
The postseason begins in less than two weeks, and the Yankees need their captain healthy and ready to go. New York has been very cautious with Judge since he returned to game action, with him missing multiple games since coming back.
The Yankees understand how important he is to their overall success, and the team will do whatever it needs to in order to keep him healthy. Judge didn't go on a rehab assignment before returning to the team, and he has gotten off to a slow start at the plate.
But the veteran was able to hit his first home run since coming back on Tuesday, helping the Yankees clinch a postseason berth. Overall, Judge has hit .241 with 18 home runs and 41 RBIs, while posting an OPS of .871 on the year.
Without Judge, the Yankees were able to stay the course in the playoff race, but the offensive production dropped significantly. New York needs Judge if they are going to go after a World Series title this season, so the hope is that the removal of the star was more precautionary than anything.
The Yankees entered Wednesday's finale against the Twins sitting 3.5 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East. While the chances of New York catching the Rays remain low, it's still possible with a strong end to the year.
But the Yankees at least will be a wild-card team for the postseason, giving them a chance to go after a title. However, the injury status of Judge will be all anyone around the Yankees will be talking about following this game with the Twins.
