14-Year MLB Player Makes Bold Yankees Statement Amid Aaron Judge Injury

Getty

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 29: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees stands in the on deck circle during a game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on April 29, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

On Friday night, the New York Yankees will open up a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.

All eyes will be on the team’s starting lineup, as Aaron Judge left Wednesday’s 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins (at Target Field) with an injury.

Greg Joyce of The New York Post wrote (on Wednesday): “Judge said he felt something while playing the field in the bottom of the first inning and eventually decided he shouldn’t risk playing through it. Wouldn’t say where in the lower leg the tightness was. TBD on whether it will cost him time.”

Greg Joyce

@GJoyce9 · Follow

Judge said he felt something while playing the field in the bottom of the first inning and eventually decided he shouldn’t risk playing through it.

Wouldn’t say where in the lower leg the tightness was.

TBD on whether it will cost him time.

6:07 pm · 16 Sep 2026

195 Reply Copy link Read 5 replies

14-Year Player Makes Yankees Statement Amid Judge Injury

Ahead of Friday’s game, former MLB player Eric Karros spoke about Judge and the Yankees (via FOX Sports: MLB).

Karros: “Well, I think the first thing is you’ve got to be able to put him in the lineup. So look at it, it’s icing on the cake if he can go out there and produce like Aaron Judge has produced. But more than anything, you just need his presence, because his presence alone is going to impact the rest of that lineup. And yes, you mentioned some numbers. He hasn’t come back, and I don’t know what we expected, right, for being off for so long. But what he does do is he creates a problem for that opposing pitcher. Because I don’t care if Aaron Judge walks up there or limps up there. I got to pitch to Aaron Judge. And so that helps the rest of the lineup. This Yankee ball club is going to go as their starting pitching goes. That’s for the postseason, regardless of Aaron Judge. If their starting pitching is dominant, like it can be with Schlittler and Cole and Rodón and Fried, then they could be into the World Series. It’s going to revolve around the starting pitching.”

FOX Sports: MLB

@MLBONFOX · Follow

“This Yankees ball club is going to go as their starting pitching goes for the Postseason, regardless of Aaron Judge.”

Eric Karros talks about how the Yankees should handle Aaron Judge’s latest injury

Watch on X

6:50 pm · 17 Sep 2026

224 Reply Copy link Read 7 replies

Looking At Judge

Judge is in the middle of his 11th season at the MLB level.

He is batting .241 with 57 hits, 18 home runs, 41 RBIs, 45 runs and five stolen bases in 66 games.

Nearly the only thing he is missing from his Hall of Fame resume is a World Series title.