Last Updated on June 12, 2023 by Inna Zeyger

The Judge’s Absence places an immeasurable burden on the Yankees’ performance and significantly heightens the fans’ eagerness for his return.

In the last four matchups, the New York Yankees have struggled to maintain dominance, experiencing three defeats and only managing one victory. These statistics provide indisputable evidence of the team’s recent performance, emphasizing the significant impact of Aaron Judge’s absence. The absence of their star player has transformed the once-mighty New York Yankees into one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball (MLB).

The enthusiastic jurors, who typically occupy the Judge’s Chambers, reveled in their privileged seats on the bench. Still, they couldn’t help but feel the void left by the absence of No. 99. This reminder also emphasized that the Yankees themselves will continue to struggle without Aaron Judge, as evidenced by their 3-2 loss in 10 innings.

The impact of Aaron Judge’s injury on the New York Yankees

The absence of a Judge places an immeasurable burden on the pitching staff, requiring them to fortify the team’s position until anyone capable of wielding a bat can step up to compensate. Unfortunately, no player managed to fulfill this role during the recent matchup.

During the tenth inning, the crowd chanted “Volpe, Volpe” when DJ LeMahieu stood on third base with the potential tying run and two outs following Jose Trevino’s strikeout. However, even with Bucky Dent observing his favorite rivalry from the suites, Anthony Volpe, who had been struggling to perform, succumbed to a strikeout against Chris Martin. Ron Marinaccio’s inability to prevent Kiké Hernandez’s RBI single ultimately solidified the Yankees’ defeat.

Considering the current performance of the New York Mets, the Yankees eagerly await the Subway Series opener at Citi Field, yearning to face their crosstown rivals as quickly as possible. Tuesday night’s matchup cannot arrive soon enough.

The absence of Judge leaves no room for error, and the Yankees demonstrated their human fallibility on this night. Gleyber Torres lazily attempted to field a one-hop lob from left fielder Billy McKinney, allowing Hernandez to advance to second base and ultimately score the tying run off Michael King in the eighth inning. Torres took full responsibility for his mistake, acknowledging that the error was entirely his fault and a simple play he failed to execute correctly.

Aside from a few noteworthy moments, such as Carlos Rodon’s rehabilitation progress and his unintentional hit on Calhoun during live batting practice, which left the batter unscathed, there was little else to console Yankees manager Aaron Boone. Boone did commend Rodon’s velocity, which ranged between 93-96 mph and expressed satisfaction with Clarke Schmidt’s consistent performances. Additionally, a leaping catch at the wall by Billy McKinney provided a brief moment of excitement. However, these instances were overshadowed by the team’s overall struggles.

Notably, Anthony Rizzo’s second-base pickoff by starting pitcher Brayan Bello with two outs in the sixth inning exemplified the Yankees’ misfortunes. Boone acknowledged the team’s shortcomings, admitting that there were several areas where they fell short during the matchup.

The Yankees’ struggles without Judge are strikingly evident in their 8-10 record during his absence. In the seven games since Judge’s toe injury, the team has only scored 21 runs, further underscoring the impact of his lack. Even the slightest lapses during the game can prove costly for the team, emphasizing the need to improve their performance.

Adding to their challenges, Anthony Rizzo is in a severe slump, with just one hit in his last 30 at-bats since June 2. Frustration boiled over as Rizzo angrily slammed his bat after flying out to the right field.

Fortunately, the Yankees recognized Aaron Judge’s importance and made him their $360 million man. However, without him, they appear to be just another struggling team, similar to the Mets without Pete Alonso, desperately searching for a way to win in his absence.

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