Aaron Judge's absence has started to cause trouble for the New York Yankees. The American League side reached a new low with offensive struggles without their captain in the batting lineup.
In recent years, Judge has been the talisman of the team. His offensive prowess has led the Yankees to several wins. In the postseason, when he has struggled, the offense has gone down with him.
Right now, he is on the injured list, having suffered a rib fracture earlier this season. As per reports, the 34-year-old injured himself after diving to make a play against the Houston Astros in late April.
Despite having some discomfort, Judge kept on playing. In the series against the Athletics in late May, this injury flared up. He would miss the series against the Cleveland Guardians at the start of June.
It was later revealed that he had fractured his rib and would miss significant time. While the team expects him to return later this year, there has been no concrete timeline.
Following the series against the A's, the Yankees had a 36-23 record. After their game on Thursday, the Bronx Bombers were left with a 61-48 record, meaning they have gone 25-25 in their last 50 games.
The one stat where they have hit a new low is the batting average. As per Kalshi Sports, the Yankees have a batting average of .222 since Judge went on the injured list. This is the worst of any team in this time span.
Speaking of Judge, he was batting with a .248 average and 17 home runs and 38 RBIs. With the injury, he is not qualified for official MLB percentage-based statistical leaderboards and has effectively fallen out of the American League MVP race.
When Aaron Judge got injured, it was expected that the offense of the New York Yankees would fall down a bit. Without the 3-time MVP, the Bronx Bombers have struggled with the bat and have the worst batting average in the league since his injury. Despite this, an NBA superstar believes that the team will be just fine.
The NBA star mentioned here is Josh Hart. The New York Knicks superstar is a Yankees fan and has often showcased his love for them. Recently, he took a dig at the New York Mets and trolled Donovan Mitchell over their trade deadline plan following their slump.
While some would say that the Yankees also need some reinforcements, Hart is confident that the team will be able to manage their offense without Judge.
We'll be ok
Josh Hart on XWe'll be ok
Earlier this week, the Yankees suffered another injury blow. Outfielder Cody Bellinger suffered a hamstring strain while legging out a double in their 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.
Reports later revealed the 2026 All-Star Game MVP had suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain. This will keep him out of action for 4 to 6 weeks. He thus joins Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list.
The timing of this injury is the biggest concern. After a slump in June, Bellinger had started to turn his form around. With him out, the team was left with Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez as outfield options.
On Thursday, the New York-based side lost 2-1 against the Chicago White Sox after 11 innings. Relief pitcher Fernando Cruz gave up a bases-loaded walk. This marked the first time they had lost back-to-back games despite having a lead in extra innings in both games.
The Yankees will remain in Chicago and turn their attention towards the Cubs now. Following this 3-game set, they will return home to host the St. Louis Cardinals.
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