Aaron Judge left the New York Yankees’ game against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday after developing tightness in his lower right leg.
The Yankees removed their star right fielder in the sixth inning, with Heliot Ramos taking his place as a pinch-hitter.
The injury comes only eight days after Judge returned from a right rib stress fracture that kept him out for more than three months.
The Yankees have not announced how serious the leg issue is or whether Judge will miss more games. The team will evaluate him further before deciding what comes next.
Aaron Judge injury update: What happened against Minnesota Twins?
Judge started Wednesday’s game in right field after sitting out Tuesday as part of a planned rest day. He went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts against Twins starter Zebby Matthews.
The concern began after Judge’s second at-bat. He appeared uncomfortable following a check swing in the third inning, although he stayed in the game. He also ran to the gap to chase down a double in the fifth inning and did not appear to be moving slowly.
In the sixth, however, the Yankees replaced him with Heliot Ramos. The team later confirmed that Judge was dealing with tightness in his lower right leg. MLB also reported the same reason for his early exit.
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Aaron Judge recently returned from right rib stress fracture
The timing makes the injury more important for the Yankees. Judge returned on September 8 after missing more than three months with a right rib stress fracture.
Before Wednesday, he had played six games since returning. He had gone 4-for-21 with 11 strikeouts, but he also hit his first home run since coming back during Monday’s win over Minnesota. The Yankees had already given him another rest day Tuesday because manager Aaron Boone wanted to manage his workload carefully.
Boone had explained the decision before Tuesday’s game: “You want to be smart with this, too, and it just felt like today was the right day and then have him back in there tomorrow.”
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Yankees need clarity on Aaron Judge’s leg injury
There is no confirmed diagnosis beyond the lower right leg tightness, so it is too early to say how much time Judge could miss.
The Yankees have already secured a postseason place, but they are still chasing the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. Judge’s availability will therefore be closely watched as New York moves through the final part of the regular season.
Further evaluation should provide a clearer picture of Judge’s status.