Aaron Judge is out with “foot soreness,” which spurred Aaron Boone to call out the Dodgers’ wonky bullpen fence.
Never say Aaron Judge is just a hitter. The Yankees superstar showcased his remarkable speed and coordination in the outfield on Saturday, tracking down a fly ball and bursting through the bullpen fence in right field to make a spectacular catch.
Judge hopped right up after the play, but he did not emerge unscathed. The 31-year-old banged his right big toe on the fence and now he’s slated to miss Sunday’s series finale with the Dodgers.
New York’s manager, Aaron Boone, expressed safety concerns over the Dodgers’ bullpen fence.
The Captain does it all. pic.twitter.com/F5WwO67w8E
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 4, 2023
Yankees’ Aaron Judge injured after he runs into stadium wall for catch
While Boone said Judge’s sore right foot is not a significant long term concern, he did express his desire for the MLB and the Dodgers to fix the bullpen fences in the outfield.
Aaron Boone doesn't think Aaron Judge's "pretty sore" right foot is an IL situation at this point. #Yankees will monitor him the next few days.
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) June 4, 2023
Boone said he hopes the #Dodgers and MLB look at making that gate area safer. Boone specifically suggested padding the concrete step.
It’s hard not to agree with Boone. It’s the major leagues — if your outfield wall can’t sustain the force of a full-speed adult, the risk of injury runs high. Judge is lucky his post-catch stumble didn’t lead to something far worse. Padding the concrete, as Boone suggests, feels especially logical if players are liable to fall over it.
The next step is probably making the doors more secure. Falling through a door while also navigating a concrete step is no easy feat, especially when you’re moving as fast as Judge and simultaneously focusing on catching a baseball. It’s remarkable the MLB has even allowed this injury risk to go unmitigated for so long.
The Yankees will hope to have Judge back in the lineup soon, and thankfully no IL stint is imminent. Judge has been operating at the peak of his powers lately. On the season, he has 19 home runs and 40 RBIs on a .291 batting average. The reigning MVP has New York rocketing towards the top of the American League.