The New York Yankees received a huge scare when superstar and three-time MVP Aaron Judge exited their latest game against the Minnesota Twins with leg tightness.
This came just days after Judge had made his much-anticipated return from a ribcage injury that had kept him out for months. The Yankees would lose the game 5-4 in extra innings.
Now, former player AJ Pierzynski has weighed in on how not going on a rehab assignment before returning may have played a role in this latest scare. He made these comments on the Foul Territory podcast.
What Did Pierzynski Say About the New York Yankees and Judge?
Judge suffered a pretty gnarly ribcage injury at the end of May. He would miss months, cutting short his MVP reign. He returned on September 8, in the heat of the Yankees playoff race. However, he would refuse to go on a rehab assignment before returning.
Pierzynski thinks this was a major mistake.
“This is why you go on a rehab assignment, especially when you missed as long as Aaron Judge did,” Pierzynski said. “He said it, this is like spring training, so you try to get the soreness and other little things that pop up out of the way by going on a rehab assignment. He didn’t do that; he didn’t want to do that.”
Judge passed up the opportunity to go on a rehab assignment before making his return to the Yankees. It’s impossible to know whether things would have been different with a rehab assignment. But Pierzynski seems to think it wouldn’t have hurt at all.
Judge’s leg injury doesn’t appear to be anything too severe, and the superstar is hoping to gain more at-bats before the playoffs begin in just a couple of weeks, with New York hoping to go on a run this year.
More On Judge
New York will travel to Phoenix to face the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend for the 25th anniversary of the 2001 World Series.
Judge has played just 66 games this season, slashing .241/.360/.511 with 18 home runs. If sustained over a full 162-game season, Judge would have the worst season of his career.
After winning AL MVP in back-to-back seasons and three of the previous four, this is a considerable drop-off. While much of it can be linked to his ribcage injury and small sample size, the batting average is quite concerning.
His lowest average in a season he has played 100 or more games in was .267 in 2023. He still had a 1.019 OPS that season. In his last seven games, Judge is slashing .174/.208/.304 with one home run.
Most players after missing as much time as Judge has this season go on rehab assignments. Judge did not, and it may not only be affecting his production after returning, but also put him at greater risk for injuries.
Pierzynski has a great point that could drastically affect the Yankees’ chances in the playoffs, as superstars like Judge often do.
Yankees, Aaron Judge Called Out by Ex-MLB All-Star After Injury Setback