Yankees star Aaron Judge was ejected early Tuesday night after catching a fastball in New York’s 4-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Thankfully for the Yankees, Judge appears to have dealt a serious blow.
Judge was about to strike out in the third inning at Yankee Stadium when a fastball from Orioles starter Albert Suarez slipped in his hands. At this point the referee was shaken, and turned around a bit, snapping his fingers before going back to the first one.
Judge stayed in the game and took the field in the top of the fourth inning. At first, it seemed to completely avoid damage.
The Yankees pulled him from the game when the umpire approached him at the plate in the bottom of the game. Trent Grisham steps in to beat him.
Hit replays don’t look good. The umpire was seen taking the ball straight to his left pinky from the bottom of the bat and appeared to be struggling to get his hand squeezed by the athletic trainers.
The judge conducted a preliminary examination at a local hospital on Tuesday night. After the game, he confirmed that his left hand was not broken and all tests came back negative. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the move was a precaution.
With the tests coming back negative, it’s unclear how long the judge can stay out of harm’s way. He said he hopes he can play on Wednesday.
“It’s a big relief,” the judge said. “You never know what it’s like to get hit there two years ago and break his wrist. To know it’s not broken, not broken, is definitely a relief. … I told Boone I’ve got to be there. We’ll see tomorrow.”
The Yankees had a 3-0 lead over the Orioles when Judge left the game. Judge entered Tuesday night with a .299 batting average with 26 home runs and 64 RBI in 73 games this season, ninth in the league.
Judge’s injury is the second major one for the Yankees in recent days. The Boston Red Sox are without first baseman Anthony Rizzo for at least two months after he broke his hand in a gruesome collision in Sunday’s loss.
Despite losing Judge early, the Yankees were able to pull off a two-run victory over the Orioles. After jumping out to a 4-0 lead, Anthony Santander hit a two-run homer for the Orioles in the ninth inning. It was as close as they come.
The Yankees hold a 51-24 record, good for first in the AL East. The Orioles have lost three of their last five games, and trail the Yankees by 2.5 games in the AL East standings.