NEW YORK — Right before the clubhouse closed to the media after the New York Yankees’ 4-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles, Aaron Judge walked through a door on the far side of the room and headed straight for the backdrop where interviews are conducted. He knew he had good news to share.
Judge exited Tuesday’s game in the fourth inning after getting drilled on his left hand by a 94 mph fastball from Orioles starting pitcher Albert Suárez. Judge left Yankee Stadium and drove under two miles to New York-Presbyterian Hospital to undergo imaging by team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad. An X-ray and a CT scan showed Judge avoided a fracture in his hand.
“A big relief,” Judge said. “Being hit there before a couple of years ago and breaking my (right) wrist, you never know what’s gonna happen. Finding out it’s not fractured and not broken is definitely some good news.”
Judge stood in front of the Yankees backdrop with his arms hidden behind his 6-foot-7 frame and his right hand covering his left, ensuring reporters could not see any potential bruising. Yankees outfielder Juan Soto told reporters he spoke with Judge who told him it was “pretty swollen,” which should be expected after getting hit with a high-velocity pitch.
But even with the swelling, Judge said he may not miss any time.
“I told (Aaron) Boone I want to be in there tomorrow, so we’ll see,” he said.
Aaron Judge provided an update on his left hand. And it was good news. pic.twitter.com/gqUtt5SZQO
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After getting plunked in the bottom of the third, Judge initially stayed in the game and scored on a Giancarlo Stanton single. Once in the dugout, Judge walked down the stairs that lead to the team’s indoor batting cages and clubhouse. Judge said he tried swinging but realized he couldn’t.
The Yankees star played center field in the top of the fourth inning, leading to a collective exhale from the sellout crowd. But angst quickly filled the stadium when Trent Grisham appeared in the on-deck circle for Judge’s spot in the lineup in the bottom half of the inning. Judge said he played the top of the inning to give Grisham extra time to warm up.
Unlike last season when Judge injured his right big toe running into Dodger Stadium’s right field wall, he and the Yankees seem to have avoided the worst this season. His chase for the American League MVP trophy and leading the Yankees to an American League East division title appear to be on.
“Any time you get hit by 94 mph, 95 mph up-and-in like that — especially in the hands where there are so many small bones and ligaments — you just never know what’s going to happen and what it’s going to be,” Judge said.
Are tensions rising between Yankees and Orioles?
The Yankees weren’t happy with the Orioles, who didn’t hit just Judge. Gleyber Torres took a pitch off the hand. Stanton was also buzzed up and in.
“There were several pitches a little too close to some of our guys’ hands,” left fielder Alex Verdugo said.
Verdugo said he didn’t believe Baltimore’s pitchers were intentionally throwing at the Yankees.
“We don’t take what happened lightly,” he said. “Those are our guys. Obviously, the captain is a big one for us. None of us are too pleased about it.”
Aaron Judge has left tonight’s game early after being hit by a pitch during the third inning.
Watch #YANKSonYES live on YES and the YES App: https://t.co/aRu5PF6iD2 pic.twitter.com/SvpLBaNM4g
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 19, 2024
Judge said the Yankees knew coming into the game that the Orioles like to pitch inside. After he was hit, he walked several paces toward Suárez and also appeared to shoot a not-too-happy glance toward him. But he said he wasn’t contemplating going after him.
“You don’t really know where you’re going once you get hit like that,” he said.
Still, Soto said it was “a little frustrating” and that seeing Judge and Torres get hit were “tough moments in the game.”
“If you know how to throw the ball in,” Soto said, “you can go in anytime. But if you don’t have that much control, that’s when things get a little bit uncomfortable.”
“You shouldn’t be throwing that close to the head,” starting pitcher Nestor Cortes said. “Regardless of if it’s Judge or anyone else, we don’t want any of our guys getting pitched up and in.”
Cortes added that when he threw a 94.6-mph fastball up and in on Orioles star shortstop Gunnar Henderson, just missing him, in a 1-0 count with one out and a runner on first base in the sixth inning, he wasn’t trying to hit him. Instead, he said, he had been pitching Henderson away all game and that he wanted to give him a different look.
Verdugo said that while he didn’t think either team would take frustrations from Game 1 of the series into Game 2, the intensity might ratchet up.
“There’s going to probably be a little bit more edge,” Verdugo said. “Our captain got hit. Just kind of got to see how it goes.”
(Photo of Aaron Judge after being hit in the hand by a pitch: Rich Graessle / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
