Aaron Judge's unbelievable catch against the Dodgers didn't come without a price.
After slamming through the door to the right-field bullpen at Dodger Stadium, Judge was scratched from the lineup for the series finale the next day because of a toe injury he suffered while running into the concrete base of the padded outfield wall.
Judge, who underwent testing Monday to determine the severity of the injury, said a toe ailment would be new for him.
“I’ve never broken a toe," he said, per The Athletic. "We’ll see what the tests say. I don’t want to throw anything out there just yet.”
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Judge also said he was experiencing swelling in his toe after hitting the wall.
How long is Aaron Judge out?
Update — June 16
The Yankees' latest update wasn't very positive, with Aaron Boone telling reporters a ligament is still causing Judge problems in his toe. Judge remains without a timetable for a return.
Aaron Judge had another PRP injection in his toe during yesterday’s off-day, per Aaron Boone. There is a second ligament that has been bothering him. Still no timetable for return.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 16, 2023
Friday, June 9
Judge was tested Monday to determine the severity of his toe injury. It was an off-day for the Yankees as they traveled back to New York for a series with the White Sox.
The Athletic's Brendan Kuty reported that Judge would go on the 10-day injured list with a bruise and a strained ligament in his right toe.
Aaron Judge has a bruise and a strain of a ligament in his right big toe, will go on the IL. #Yankees
— Brendan Kuty 🧟♂️ (@BrendanKutyNJ) June 7, 2023
The Yankees made the move official Wednesday, sending Judge to the IL retroactive to June 4 with a sprain of his right great toe. That means Judge can return in as soon as one week, since his placement on the IL was backdated, but his exact timeline hasn't been determined.
Earlier today, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) June 7, 2023
•Placed OF Aaron Judge on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to 6/4) with a right great toe sprain.
•Transferred RHP Ryan Weber to the 60-day injured list.
•Signed OF Billy McKinney (#57) to a Major League…
After Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the White Sox, manager Aaron Boone said there was no break in the toe and the injury "definitely could have been worse." Boone said he was hopeful Judge would be out for only a short amount of time.
"He's got a contusion and a sprain of the ligament. So he had a PRP shot tonight and then, I mean, the biggest thing now is trying to get the swelling out of there. Had some improvements today, but now just see where we are in the coming weeks or days and then week, but the biggest thing is getting the swelling out of there now."
Aaron Judge will be placed on the I.L., Aaron Boone announced after tonight's game. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/6SladOANYQ
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 7, 2023
Judge, though, told reporters Thursday that there is no timetable for his return. He said the uncertainty is "best, because there's a couple things going on in there."
"So I think they don't want to say a timetable and then it's a couple of weeks longer or a couple of weeks less," he said, per MLB.com. "I think it's more based on how it's feeling. Once it starts feeling better, then you can start progressing to doing some walking around baseball stuff and moving around. I think we're just kind of waiting on a lot of the inflammation and swelling to go down."
Losing Judge will undoubtedly be a major blow to the Yankees, even if it is for less time than had been feared. So far this season, New York is 7-8 without him in the lineup and a resounding 30-19 with him in it. If Judge were to miss only the minimum 10 days, he would miss series against the White Sox, Red Sox and Mets.
Aaron Judge injury history
Judge has had myriad injuries in his MLB career.
MORE: Aaron Judge injury history: A complete timeline
Both his 2016 and 2017 injuries were hindered by injuries, with 2016 ending with an oblique strain and 2017 being hampered by arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder. In 2018, Judge fractured his right wrist after being hit by a pitch.
Judge missed two months with another oblique strain in 2019 before battling a myriad of injuries in 2020, including a pectoral injury and a persistent calf strain.
From there, Judge had his health for 2021 and 2022 outside of a stint on the COVID list in 2021. His toe injury in 2023 is his second injury this season, as he was put on the injured list in April with a hip injury.
Aaron Judge contract
Playing in his age-31 season, Judge signed a contract this year for nine years and $360 million.
He will next hit free agency at 40 years old.
Judge was originally reported to have been going to the Giants, but that reporting was premature and he instead stayed with the Yankees.
The star outfielder was named the 16th captain in team history later in the month.
Judge's $40 million AAV is third in MLB behind the Mets' Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. He also has the third-highest deal in total money in MLB history behind Mike Trout and Mookie Betts.
