New York Yankees slugger and reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge was forced to exit the team's win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday because of discomfort in his right hip. Now, the Yankees are preparing for the possibility that Judge will need to go on the injured list.
As The Athletic reports, Judge is set for an MRI on his hip, and the results of the imaging will determine the path forward. At the same time, first baseman and corner outfielder Jake Bauers will reportedly join the club prior the second game of their series against Texas. Whether Bauers is fully activated or will remain on the taxi squad depends on whether Judge is headed to the IL.
As well, Judge rolled over on his right wrist during an awkward slide Wednesday, but remained in the game. Cameras caught him flexing his right hand after a swing in the second inning Thursday. It's unclear if the hip discomfort is related to the awkward slide Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Bauers, a one-time coveted prospect, hasn't met with much success across parts of three major-league seasons with the Rays, Guardians, and Mariners, but he's been off to hot start in 2023 with the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate. In 21 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, Bauers is slashing a lofty .319/.460/.812 with nine home runs and more walks than strikeouts.
As for Judge, through 26 games this season the Yankee captain is batting .261/.352/.511 (140 OPS+) with six home runs. While that's quite strong production, it's shy of Judge's career standards and certainly not in line with his legendary 2022 season. He's in the first year of a nine-year, $360 million pact he signed this past offseason.
The Yankees have been hit hard by injuries early on this season. They're currently without their No. 2 (Carlos Rodón) and No. 3 (Luis Severino) starters, their starting center fielder (Harrison Bader), their DH (Giancarlo Stanton), their top setup man (Jonathan Loàisiga), and several other depth arms. They enter Friday night's game against the Rangers with a record of 15-11 and in fourth place in the tough AL East.
