Yankees Avoid Major Disaster After Aaron Judge Injury Scare

The New York Yankees have avoided a major disaster after receiving the results of Aaron Judge's X-Rays and CT scan following a scary hit by pitch on Tuesday night.

Jun 18, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) is hit by a pitch during the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone can exhale now.

New York Yankees AL MVP favorite and superstar cafptain Aaron Judge was plunked on the left hand by a 94 mph pitch on Tuesday night, which forced him out of the team's 4-2 win against the Baltimore Orioles.

Judge was immediately sent to Columbia Presbyterian to undergo X-Rays and CT scans, creating a wave of panic throughout Yankee world, and rightfully so. This was almost like a déjà vu moment, as Judge broke his wrist in 2018 after getting hit by a pitch. He also missed a big chunk of the 2023 season due to a torn ligament in his big toe thus sinking the Yankees' playoff hopes last year.

While there was a sense of uneasiness leading up to the reveal of Judge's testing results, the best case scenario occurred. A relieved Judge, who was back in the Yankee clubhouse after the game, shared with team reporters that his X-Rays and CT scans came back negative and all is good.

Judge all smiles talking about the good news pic.twitter.com/z8YmmKxIsv

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 19, 2024

In the span of two weeks, the Yankees have dodged two significant injury scares; first with fellow AL MVP favorite and superstar outfielder Juan Soto, who had elbow inflammation that caused him to miss three games from June 7-9, and now Judge who took a high-velocity fastball off of his hand.

There are always going to be ups-and-downs in a baseball season, but the Yankees have grown accustom to the injury bug in recent years. In 2024, the Yankees have the best record in baseball at 51-24 and look like the prime favorites to win the World Series behind Judge and Soto, who they cannot afford to lose.

On Wednesday night, the Yankees and Judge avoided the worst. It remains to be seen whether Judge will have to miss any time, but the Yankee captain told manager Aaron Boone: "I want to be in there tomorrow, so we’ll see," according to The Athletic's Chris Kirschner.