Aaron Judge injury update: Things don’t look good for Yankees

Yankees star Aaron Judge’s injury may have taken a turn for the worse given the latest update on his availability status.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is set to miss a second straight game as he is reportedly absent from the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the White Sox.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told the “Talkin’ Yanks” podcast that Judge would be omitted from the lineup tonight, and that the team will determine whether or not Judge needs to be placed on the injured list later today.

Judge hurt his toe in Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers — and Judge being Judge, he just had to get injured in remarkable fashion. In the eighth inning, the star outfielder made a mesmerizing catch at Dodger Stadium to preserve New York’s lead, but in doing so, he ran into the bullpen fence and jammed his toe against a concrete block.

Judge spoke about his unfortunate injury on Sunday and told the media he has “no answer” for his future health status. He was obviously “trying not to be” on the injured list, but that decision may not be up to him.

Yankees’ Aaron Judge misses second consecutive game due to toe injury

As of Tuesday afternoon, no details of the extent of Judge’s injury have been revealed. He and the Yankees are presumably awaiting a diagnosis that will either place Judge on the injured list or see him return to the lineup in a few day’s time.

The severity of Judge’s toe injury could range from a bone fracture to a day-to-day nagging issue, and the Yankees have been deliberate in not commenting on Judge’s situation until the MRI results come out.

Judge has missed 13 games (counting Tuesday night’s game) in 2023, a handful more than he did last year. Still, Judge is on pace for 50 home runs and undoubtedly remains the fulcrum of the Yankees’ batting rotation.

He’s recording a .291 batting average with a .404 on-base percentage and has been stellar on defense as well. The Yankees will need Judge to continue their winning streak and catch up to the Tampa Bay Rays, but their focus right now will be on what they can control, starting with their three-game series against the White Sox that begins Tuesday night.