Aaron Judge’s latest health scare arrived at an awkward moment for the New York Yankees.
After taking two of three from the Minnesota Twins, the club arrived in Phoenix with an off day Thursday and a series against the Arizona Diamondbacks beginning Friday night.
The lingering question is whether their captain will be in the lineup.
Judge exited Wednesday’s 5-4 loss in the sixth inning. The team first described the issue in vague terms before confirming it involved the lower right leg.
That limited information left room for speculation until Yankees radio voice Michael Kay offered a firsthand observation on The Michael Kay Show.
“Now, I saw him in the hotel lobby last night when we got into Phoenix. He wasn’t limping at all. Now again, what does that mean? But if he really had a bad calf or something like that, you would think there’d be a little bit of a limp in his step. He was not limping. He walked right through the lobby,” Kay said. “And if you didn’t tell me that he got pinch-hit for in the sixth inning, I would not have said, oh, he’s in trouble. No, not at all.”
Apparently, Kay thinks the Yankee superstar looks just fine.
“He looked fine. But for him to take himself out of a game now, he gets a little bit of a help today because of the fact that it’s an off day, so he can get treatment all day,” Kay added. “Maybe they keep him out of the game tomorrow night against Arizona and they slow-roll it. But the more you slow-roll it, then the more he’s not going to get the at-bats he needs to get his swing down.”
Kay’s comments highlight the unusual path Judge has traveled this year.
After missing time earlier with a broken rib, he was restricted from even basic baseball activity during rehab. The result is a player still trying to find rhythm in mid-September of his 11th season, all spent in pinstripes. Through 66 games the three-time MVP is hitting .241 with 18 home runs, 41 RBIs, 45 runs and five stolen bases.
The Yankees now face a familiar late-season calculation. An extra day of treatment could help Judge feel better Friday, or the club could sit him another night and risk further delaying the at-bats he still needs.
Kay’s observation revealed some visual reassurance even as the official diagnosis remains limited.
How the Yankees handle the next 24 hours will say as much about their remaining schedule as it does about Judge’s leg. With September winding down, every game and every available at-bat carries extra weight.
Fans will learn Friday whether the captain is back in the order or whether the team has chosen caution once more.
