3 Yankees who need to pick up slack with Aaron Judge out

Yankees who need to pick up slack: Jake Bauers

Until recently, Jake Bauers wasn’t sure he’d play Major League Baseball again. Now, he’s in a position to lift the Yankees up while Judge recovers. Bauers is 27 years old and spent all of 2022 and the first part of the 2023 season in the minors. He has bounced around between teams for several years, splitting time between the majors and Triple-A. Bauers got his chance to return to MLB this April with the Yankees. He plays first base and outfield, but Bauers is needed more in the outfield right now.

In April, Bauers made a fantastic catch in his Yankees debut. Unfortunately, his night was cut short since he was injured on the play. Luckily, his knee injury only kept him down for a few days. Since then, Bauers has seen a lot of playing time, mostly in left field and right field. If Bauers continues to play top-notch defense, he can help the Yankees while their regular outfielders are down.

Bauers can also contribute offensively. He’s slashing .250/.349/.542 in 30 games with the Yankees, but his past seven games he’s looked particularly strong. Bauers is slashing .316/.409/.789 and has two HR and four RBI during this time. He’s looked locked in at the plate lately. Bauers is heating up at a time the Yankees really need him to.

The Yankees hope that Judge won’t be down for too long, but they’re currently unable to estimate how long it will be. In the meantime, the Yankees will find ways to win ballgames.