New York Yankees player Aaron Judge had to leave the game against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night after being hit by a pitch on his left pinkie. The pitch, thrown by Albert Suárez at a speed of 94.1 mph, left Judge in pain, but he toughed it out and continued to play for a bit.
After being hit, Judge went to first base in the third inning, where he was examined by a team trainer. Despite the discomfort, he managed to score a run before heading towards the clubhouse. He even played in center field for a bit in the fourth inning before being replaced by Trent Grisham as a pinch-hitter.
Aaron Judge is a key player for the Yankees, leading the major leagues in home runs and RBIs. His performance this season has been outstanding, with a batting average of .302 and an impressive slash line of .428/.687. The 32-year-old outfielder is a five-time All-Star and was the 2022 AL MVP. He is currently the favorite to win the AL MVP Award this year.
This is not the first time Judge has had to deal with an injury from being hit by a pitch. In 2018, he missed 45 games due to a broken right wrist caused by a pitch from Jakob Junis of the Kansas City Royals. Unfortunately, injuries from being hit by pitches are not uncommon in baseball, as seen with Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who recently broke his left hand after being hit by a pitch.
Despite these challenges, the New York Yankees have been performing well this season, boasting the best record in Major League Baseball at 50-24. The team will be hoping for a speedy recovery for Aaron Judge so that he can continue to contribute to their success on the field.
Injuries are always a risk in sports, but players like Judge show resilience and determination in overcoming obstacles to get back in the game. As fans, we can only hope for a quick recovery and return to action for one of the brightest stars in baseball.