To say that the New York Yankees offense is almost entirely dependent on the availability of Aaron Judge would be an understatement.
The reigning AL MVP has had two stints on the injured list this year (one currently ongoing, with a toe issue), and the Yankees have failed to consistently produce runs in both.
The evidence is right there.
“The Yankees’ batting average (.195) and OPS (.599) since June 4 are now both the worst in MLB,” Yankees insider Bryan Hoch tweeted.
An update on this:
The Yankees' batting average (.195) and OPS (.599) since June 4 are now both the worst in MLB. https://t.co/wXK8uCeonL
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 19, 2023
It’s shocking that an offense that has Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, Anthony Rizzo, DJ LeMahieu, Josh Donaldson, and others ranks last over a specific timeframe in average and OPS.
There are former MVP winners in that group.
The one that contributes the most, Judge, is absent, though.
He jammed his right big toe in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers while making a run-saving catch in the outfield.
To be fair to Rizzo, he hasn’t been the same since Fernando Tatis Jr. hit him on a close play at first base and hurt his neck.
Everyone else in the Yankees lineup needs to pick up the pace because the team has now lost four in a row and is 10.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.
As for Judge, he has been getting PRP shots to help accelerate his recovery.
However, he still has soreness and the team doesn’t have a firm timetable for the star, who has 19 home runs and a 1.078 OPS already despite limited playing time because of the injuries.
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