The entire city of New York held its breath on Tuesday night as All-Star slugger Aaron Judge was hit by a 94 mph fastball from the Baltimore Orioles, which forced him out of the Yankees’ eventual 4-2 win.
Judge confirmed that both the X-rays and CT scan showed no serious injury, which he considered good news. He expressed optimism that he might not miss any playing time, stating, “I told Boone I want to be in there tomorrow, so we’ll see.”
New York City can now collectively breathe a sigh of relief as the favorite for the American League MVP appears to have escaped serious injury. Just days ago, the favorite for the National League MVP, Mookie Betts, faced a nearly identical situation when he was hit by a 98 mph fastball. However, Betts was less fortunate as the pitch resulted in a fractured hand, and he is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks, according to manager Dave Roberts.
The New York Yankees made significant roster adjustments ahead of their series opener against the Baltimore Orioles. First baseman Anthony Rizzo was placed on the injured list due to a right forearm fracture. In his place, top prospect Ben Rice received his call-up to the major leagues on Tuesday.
In addition to Rizzo, the Yankees also placed right-handed pitchers Ian Hamilton (right lat strain) and Cody Poteet (right triceps strain) on the 15-day injured list. They were replaced on the active roster by left-handed pitchers Clayton Andrews and Anthony Misiewicz.
