When Aaron Judge got hit by a pitch on July 26, fans held their breath. Their fears were confirmed when the star slugger was diagnosed with a chip fracture in his wrist. With hitters, wrist injuries can wreck the rest of the season. (For evidence, look at the Dodgers’ Justin Turner and his struggles since coming back from a similar injury.)
In a lot of ways, Judge is the lifeblood of this team. He’s the face of the Yankees franchise right now, their young star and perhaps their most impactful bat. Losing him cast a pall over the excitement the Bombers had built with trades for J.