Aaron Judge Scratched From Second Straight Start

Yankees star right fielder Aaron Judge has been scratched -- again. He apparently felt "general soreness" after sliding into second base in Tuesday's 7-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles, which has caused him to miss his last two starts. Most fan bases hear a player was scratched and their minds ease, but Yankee Nation has heard this far too many times.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked this morning if Judge was "injured" by ESPN's Marly Rivera, and here was his reply:

What's clear is that the New York Yankees haven't been clear at all when it comes to Aaron Judge. One moment he's jogging off the field, the next day he's visiting the Injured List. And the worst part is that Yankees fans now almost expect Boone to lie here.

But why hasn't Aaron Judge received an MRI yet? Why didn't any think that an MRI was immediately in order when Judge felt so off on Wednesday that he couldn't play, especially given his history of injuries? It almost makes you think the Bombers are trying to protect the legacy of Aaron Judge. He's now rightfully labeled as "injury prone," but the team still pretends he's fine until they're forced to send him to the IL.

Like I said yesterday, if Aaron Judge ends up missing significant time this year, the Yankees may start looking for a new right fielder. They can't have a player, no matter how talented, miss half the season...every year.

At the very least, we should expect transparent updates about the health of Aaron Judge. Unfortunately, we didn't get that this morning. Yankees fans all hold their breath and brace for the worst.