The New York Yankees removed star slugger Aaron Judge from Thursday night’s game due to discomfort in his right hip. The injury originated from an awkward slide into third base during Wednesday’s victory over the Minnesota Twins. Although most attention was directed towards his wrist, his hip was an underlying concern that did not emerge until the following day.
Losing Judge is a substantial setback for the outfield, as he is their most potent hitter and an exceptional defender. The possible replacements include Oswaldo Cabrera, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Franchy Cordero, and Aaron Hicks.
All four have had dismal offensive starts to the 2023 season, implying that the Yankees might want to promote one of their in-form Triple-A players, specifically Jake Bauers.
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The Yankees should call up Jake Bauers:
As the Bombers are unlikely to place Judge on the injured list, having indicated that he should only require a few days of rest, they will need to demote one of the current players on the 26-man roster. The primary candidates are Willie Calhoun and Franchy Cordero, with the latter being the more evident choice.
After hitting four home runs in his first seven games of the season, Cordero has failed to reach base in seven games and has a .160 batting average with a .192 OBP. His performance has quickly deteriorated, despite initial speculation that general manager Brian Cashman might have discovered the next Matt Carpenter.
Cordero has one minor-league option remaining, allowing the Yankees to use it to promote Bauers, a 27-year-old former top prospect who has altered his swing over the past season. Bauers has been outstanding with Scranton Wilkes-Barre, boasting a .319 average, .460 OBP, .812 SLG, and 1.271 OPS. He has already hit nine home runs, with 20 RBIs and five stolen bases, along with 18 walks and 16 strikeouts. His walk rate surpasses his strikeout rate, indicating improved vision and readiness for another chance at the major league level.
“He’s definitely caught our eye, and certainly a lot of us pay attention to that,” Boone remarked on Wednesday. “We’ll see what happens.”
In the end, it can only be beneficial to offer an experienced MLB player who has rejuvenated his game another opportunity. Cordero is not meeting expectations, and the offensive capabilities across the infield are alarmingly inadequate.
Judge’s injury provides the Yankees with an ideal opportunity to justify Bauers’ promotion, which he has unquestionably earned during the initial weeks of the 2023 season.