The New York Yankees didn’t skip a beat after manager Aaron Boone informed the media that Aaron Judge would be placed on the injured list with a grade-1 calf strain.
The Bombers are currently without their two star sluggers in Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Luckily, they have plenty of reserve options to supplement their losses. However, Boone mentioned “wear and tear” as a factor in Judge’s injury. It is quite problematic to consider that Judge is already feeling fatigued after 17 games and plenty of rest days.
Aside from the injuries, the Yankees emerged victorious against the Red Sox 10-3, extending their record to 13-6. They currently own first place in the American League East division.
In the first game of a four-game series against Boston, the Yankees further cemented their momentum and will feature James Paxton for Saturday evening’s game.
TOP NEWS:
–Aroldis Chapman injury update
Here’s your New York Yankees good news and bad news:
GOOD NEWS:
The good news, Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole dominated once again, allowing just one run over 7.0 innings pitched. He recorded eight strikeouts and allowed one homer over 95 pitches. He currently hosts a 2.76 ERA, representing the best starter for the Yankees by a large margin. Offensively, Gleyber Torres finally broke out, recording four hits over four at-bats. His cold streak has been extensive, but rocking the Red Sox is always a confidence booster and he chose the perfect time to snap his cold streak.
In addition, slugger Gary Sanchez launched a 457-foot home run, showing off his power and what he offers to the offense. Mike Tauchman, who replaced Aaron Judge in right field, had threes hits on the day, including two, two-run doubles. He currently hosts a .343 batting average with a .395 on-base percentage.
BAD NEWS:
The bad news boils down to injuries, once again. Stanton and his bodybuilder physique simply can’t stay healthy. A hamstring injury suffered against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field will likely sideline him for the next three weeks at least. Judge, who considers himself day-to-day, will likely take at least a week to regain his form. As we saw earlier this season, calf strains can be tumultuous. Stanton missed significant time and would have been absent for Opening Day if the season started on time.
We can only hope that Judge’s injury is not severe and he will return in the coming days. Nonetheless, the New York Yankees have plenty of reserve talent and the Red Sox have some of the worst pitching in the league. Judge is lucky Boston is struggling so badly, giving him plenty of time to rest up and return to the lineup in an expedited fashion.