New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was unbelievably pinch-hit for in the top of the sixth inning of Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins, a wild move that saw Heliot Ramos step to the plate instead of Judge with the Yankees down 2-0, one out, and a runner on first. Ramos struck out, and the Yanks couldn’t get a run across. Talk about a gut punch.
The Baffling Decision to Pull Judge
Manager Aaron Boone’s call to pull Judge, a guy who *could* tie the game there, is truly baffling. Was it planned? Judge missed 84 games this season with a fractured right rib. Maybe Boone had an off day planned for him, especially with an upcoming off day? Or, and this is the real kicker, did Judge tweak something on a third-inning swinging strikeout? That’s the concern buzzing around the league right now. And it gets weirder: Minnesota was throwing right-hander Zebby Matthews. Judge actually has a decent 1-for-4 record against him in his career, with an RBI, a walk, and two strikeouts. Ramos, on the other hand? He hadn’t faced Matthews *at all*. This doesn’t scream “matchup decision,” does it?
Judge’s Alarming Return Struggles
Let’s be real, Judge had a terrible day at the plate before he got yanked. He was 0-for-2 with two swinging strikeouts. This was only his seventh game back in action after that brutal rib fracture. And it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing since his return. Over the six games before Wednesday, Judge was only 4-for-21, with only 1 home run and 3 RBI, but a staggering 11 strikeouts. Add those two from Wednesday’s game, and we’re looking at 13 strikeouts in only 23 at-bats since his return. That’s more than half his plate appearances ending in a K! The guy’s clearly not 100%, and those numbers are getting hard to ignore.
What does this mean for the Yankees? We’re all waiting to hear from Aaron Boone. He’s gotta address this shocking change after the game, and you know everyone’s holding their breath for an update on Judge’s health and this baffling benching. Something’s definitely up, and the baseball world needs answers.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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