A few years back, Judge Aaron hit a pivotal moment.
On Saturday, he made an impressive showing, connecting on his first pitch with a solid single, which brought his batting average to an impressive .432 and an on-base percentage of .520.
Yet, it’s a tough game, and not every at-bat can result in success. In a narrow 3-2 defeat against the Rays, the Yankees couldn’t secure the win after eight innings.
After the Rays took an early lead, singles from Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger put runners on the corners with two outs.
Rays manager Kevin Cash opted for Edwin Useta to face Judge, which was a tactic many teams might reconsider. I suppose it’s a risky call, really.
“I know how the Rays operate,” said manager Aaron Boone. “Intentional walks aren’t their usual strategy.”
Useta threw Judge two changeups in that encounter.
“He’s something special, and you can’t deliver every time,” Bellinger commented. “In the end, I made solid contact, but it went right to someone.”
A couple of days following his boost to the MLB-leading OPS of 1.312, Judge homered in three of the last four games, marking his 71st career home run during the first inning, placing him fourth in franchise history after legends like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Lou Gehrig.
In another twist, Jazz Chisholm Jr. expressed surprise upon discovering he had significant damage in his right shoulder, revealing, he has three diagonal tears.
The Yankees are estimating that the second baseman could be sidelined for four to six weeks.
“That’s what we’re aiming for, if not sooner,” Chisholm noted.
The Rays had a solid performance against the Yankees pitchers and even executed a stolen base with Austin Wells watching closely. In the eighth inning, Chandler Simpson—likely the fastest player in MLB—swiped second base, which set the stage for Brandon Low’s double steal.
Both teams were vying for crucial runs as the game continued.
“They certainly did a lot of running today and capitalized on opportunities,” Wells remarked. “That’s how they play the game.”
In injury news, DJ LeMahieu resumed minor league rehab and received a cortisone shot for his hip on Tuesday, managing a good showing with a 3-0 stat at Double-A Somerset.
“The feedback was positive,” Boone mentioned about LeMahieu, noting he would need a few more rehab games before he could rejoin the team.
As for Marcus Stroman, he’s being monitored closely after throwing his first bullpen session post-injury. “We’re only through the throwing program,” Boone stated, mentioning Stroman recently received an injection in his knee. “We’ll evaluate how he is today.”
