Injuries have been the price he has to pay for getting through the gates of the fence. Home run leader Aaron Judge (Yankees) was placed on the disabled list with a big toe injury.
Judge did not play in the Yankees’ home game against the Chicago White Sox on July 7. It’s the second straight game he’s missed, following a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 5. He injured his big toe on a hustle play through the Dodger Stadium fence on May 5.
Judge started in right field, batting second, against the Dodgers on April 4 and finished the game. He hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, his 19th of the season, and appeared to be cruising toward the home run title for the second straight year, but in the bottom of the eighth, he stubbed his toe while fielding a fly ball from J.D. Martinez on the walk track. The fence gate opened, colliding with his jersey, and he sprained his foot.
He underwent X-rays on the sixth, a travel day. Manager Aaron Boone announced Jersey’s two-game absence ahead of the game on the 7th, saying, “He’ll have a postgame exam. We’ll decide if we need to put him on the injured list.”
After the examination, Jersey was placed on the injured list. “He’s been placed on the injured list with a right big toe contusion and ligament sprain,” Boone explained. This is the second time he’s been placed on injured reserve this season, following a right hip strain.
Prior to the toe injury, Judge was batting .291 with a 1.078 OPS and 19 home runs in 49 games. He led the American League in home runs and the majors in on-base percentage and OPS. For the time being, however, he needs to focus on his recovery.
The Yankees also lost a starting pitcher. Left-handed starter Nestor Cortes was placed on the disabled list with Jersey. Cortes was an All-Star last year, but has struggled this year with a 5.16 ERA due to a bad left shoulder.
“The injury bug that has plagued the Yankees all year has returned,” said MLB.com, “and while (Jersey and Cortes’ injuries) are not good news for the Yankees, they have managed to overcome the odds and are 36-26 and hold the third wild-card spot in the American League 스포츠토토.”