Yankees have easy roster solution if Aaron Judge has to hit injured list

Aaron Judge. Injury. Two phrases that Yankees fans never want to hear in succession. And for the most part, their ears have steered clear of the dreadful pairing.

Judge has played in 145+ games in four of the past five seasons. And although he’s had several injured list stints since 2021, they’ve all been for minor impairments (he’s only received 10 or 15-day designations through the entirety of his career).

His most recent shoulder/rib/clavicle injury doesn't sound great, but the Yankees seem confident it's not a long-term issue. We'll believe it when we see it, though.

If Judge is added to the injured list, it would likely be for a similar short-term period based on what we're led to believe. Judge received an MRI Tuesday for further clarity (the results have not yet been released), and was held out of New York’s matchup against the Guardians. Jose Caballero started the game in right field.

Judge is meeting with team doctors on Tuesday evening to determine the severity of the injury and presumably next steps.

"He's been kind of the last couple of weeks kind of dealing with some shoulder soreness, just kind of more nagging," Boone said, via ESPN. "Then over the weekend, the last couple of games in Sacramento, I think it became a little more than just that, where I noticed with some swings and stuff. It became a little more than just nagging. I think it was affecting him." 

The Yankees’ next move if Aaron Judge goes to the IL is a no-brainer

The Yanks need outfield help, even with Judge healthy. They lost Jasson Domínguez after he went crashing into a wall during an incredible leaping catch on May 7. They’re without the powerful punch of Giancarlo Stanton, who’s been out since April with a calf strain.

The man to turn to is Spencer Jones, who’s walloped Minor League pitching to the tune of 13 homers in 39 games (he’s hit a homer in exactly 1/3 of his games thus far). Jones carries a .954 OPS, but Yankees fans didn't see that on-base/power combo when he was with the team for two weeks in May. He struggled in his first taste of big-league action, hitting just .167 (4-for-24), while striking out in half of his at-bats. 

But few players make the big-league adjustment without some hitches (remember Nick Kurtz’s struggle to find the long ball when he first came up?) and Jones’ raw power is hard to find. Plate discipline, coverage and swing decisions are things that can be worked on. His tangible traits are not, and there’s no substitute for live-action reps. 

If Judge goes on the shelf, it’s time for Jones' second chance to show what he can do when his team needs him most.

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