Aaron Judge is set to undergo an MRI on his wrist after the New York Yankees’ slugger was drilled with a pitch in the first inning.
This is the type of news that the New York Yankees can’t bear to hear. Aaron Judge left Thursday’s game after being hit by pitch in the first inning. According to Coley Harvey of ESPN, Judge is heading to the hospital to undergo an MRI on his right wrist.
Here's Aaron Judge getting hit by a pitch in the first. He was pissed, clearly. pic.twitter.com/7poeWkuRqM
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) July 27, 2018
An injury to Judge would be devastating. Last year’s Rookie of the Year has been a staple in the two-hole in the lineup. With the Boston Red Sox creating separation in the AL East, the Yanks can’t afford to lose their rock in the lineup.
Of course, this move could be precautionary in nature. It doesn’t look great on video and Judge’s reaction isn’t putting Yankee fans at ease. But on the bright side, he remained in the game to run the bases and scored a run. He would later reach on an infield single in the third inning, but would later come out of the game.
A July game against the Royals holds very little meaning in the grand scheme of things. An injured Judge would be disastrous to the Yankees’ hopes of winning the AL East. It could even make their run at a Wild Card spot a bit more precarious.
Judge is hitting .285 with 26 home runs, 61 RBIs and 70 runs scored. He’s quietly holding down the top of the lineup and so far, he’s avoided any type of sophomore slump.
In a perfect world, he’s a little sore with a nice little bruise on his wrist. But the worst case scenario is something no Yankee fan wants to think about.
