In a season defined by injuries for the New York Yankees, they might have suffered the most concerning during Saturday’s game against the Kansas City Royals.
Outfielder Aaron Judge exited the game with a left oblique injury after a single in the sixth inning. According to The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler, Judge is headed to the hospital for further tests and an MRI.
Outlook: Given the nature of the injury, New York would likely want to exercise extreme caution to avoid it becoming a recurring issue throughout the year.
extreme caution to avoid it becoming a recurring issue throughout the year.
- New York is already missing outfielders Aaron Hicks and Jacoby Ellsbury and neither are ready to even begin rehab assignments.
- Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, who is on the 10-day injured list with a biceps injury, took swings recently but remains without a timetable for a return.
Prognosis: Depending on the severity of the oblique injury, a moderate strain could keep him out for at least a month of action.
- In 2017, Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger missed nearly two months of action with a moderate, grade two oblique strain.
- A grade one oblique strain is more minor and can carry a shorter recovery time, though Judge would still likely land on the injured list.
Yankees’ Injury Ward: The Yankees seem to be cursed with a flurry of injuries to key contributors this season with Judge becoming the latest victim to an injury.
- Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius, Troy Tulowitzki, Miguel Andujar and Greg Bird highlight the number of injuries to hit New York’s infield.
- Judge would become New York’s fourth outfielder to land on the injured list.
- The Yankees still remain without pitchers Luis Severino, Jordan Montgomery and Dellin Betances.
For a team that could not afford another long-term injury, the Yankees now face the real possibility of losing their best player for a lengthy absence.