The Yankees were able to win the first four series without Aaron Judge’s usual overwhelming power at the plate.
There were concerns from the start after he struck out in both at-bats in an exhibition game against the Braves on March 10, and an MRI on his abdomen was required.
Nevertheless, it was a temporary hiccup, as the results came back clean and the former MVP returned to the lineup ten days later, playing in four of the final six games.
There were no major concerns at the time, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone has not announced whether Judge’s abdominal issues and absence were the cause of the slow start.
He went 0-for-4 on Wednesday night, but with the bases loaded, he hit a fly ball to center field, ending a 5-2 loss to the Marlins and giving him hope for victory.
“I’ve talked about this a lot, but the blows are coming — it’s different every year. From great players like Aaron Judge to guys trying to make the roster, every year is a little bit more fickle,” Boone said before the game. told. “Sometimes it hits you the first week of spring training, and you get that feeling right away. Sometimes it takes longer. There’s not necessarily a rhyme or reason to it. So, you know, there’s something about it. Maybe, but not necessarily. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if he came out on opening day and hit a home run.”
He also struck out twice Wednesday, both times on a 1-2 count.
Judge currently has a batting average of .178 and an OPS of .744 with just eight hits in 45 at-bats.
Through the first 12 games of last season, Judge had 14 hits for 44 at bats, a batting average of .318, and an OPS of 1.017.
Considering Judge’s 14 walks, including one he earned on Wednesday, another metric is of interest to Boone at this point.
“So his on-base percentage is almost .400 (.367 to be exact),” Boone said. “So that’s how I want to fight too. It’s only a matter of time.”
“I feel like his at-bats were really good. What was it that got him on base four times? [Tuesday] night? I think so. I’m not too worried about Aaron Judge. ”
