Yankees' Aaron Boone reveals Aaron Judge switch amid Giancarlo Stanton injury
07/05/2024 08:04 PM
This year is starting to look eerily similar to the 2022 campaign for the New York Yankees (54-35). They have lost 13 of their last 17 games after being swept at home to the Cincinnati Reds this week, continuing a downward descent that is all too familiar for fans.
Two seasons ago, the iconic franchise sprinted to the best record in the league before sliding a bit and ceding home-field advantage to the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros. Despite winning 99 games that year, concerns were justifiably high entering the postseason (swept by Astros in American League Championship Series). If not for Aaron Judge posting a historic regular season, who knows where New York would have finished?
Is this franchise about to get thumped with a terrible case of deja vu? One thing is for certain. The Yankees need a healthy Judge in their lineup to have a chance at building any sort of momentum. They are exercising caution when possible in order to better increase the chances of the prodigious slugger being at full force in the playoffs.
Judge is slotted in the designated hitter position for Friday night’s game against the visiting Boston Red Sox (47-39), a role he has already occupied 18 times in 2024. People should expect the MVP favorite to keep getting his fair share of outfield vacation days as long as Giancarlo Stanton is on the injured list.
"That's one of the things we can take advantage of and lighten his load in the middle of the season,” manager Aaron Boone told the media, per The Star-Ledger’s Max Goodman. Trent Grisham will start in center field in Judge’s place.
Yankees desperate to protect their superstar
Circumstances for both the Yanks and Red Sox have changed quite dramatically since they last squared off three weeks ago. New York has slipped below the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East and is only five and a half games clear of its foremost foe. The team is still on the fast-track to October, but it is no longer looking like the consensus frontrunner to win the pennant.
And that is a problem in a World Series or bust campaign. General manager Brian Cashman made noticeable improvements to the roster during the offseason, most notably acquiring Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres. By all accounts, these should not be your slightly older brother’s Yankees. And yet, they are slumping and the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays are surging.
One can see why panic would creep into the Bronx. 2024 can still be different, however. With a fierce one-two punch in the lineup, and a pitching rotation that performed brilliantly for the first two-plus months of the season, New York could bounce back and finally reclaim the AL throne.
Fulfilling that mission starts with preserving Aaron Judge.
Judge is bashing his way towards history once again
The 32-year-old is in the midst of arguably the greatest season of his MLB career, batting .313 with 32 home runs, 83 RBIs, a mind-boggling .702 slugging percentage and 1.135 OPS. Teams pitch to him at their own peril.
His greatness is punctuated by his ability to consistently play one of the most important positions on the baseball diamond. But it is practical to limit his defensive usage when the situation presents itself. Giancarlo Stanton, who has belted 18 homers in 69 games in 2024, is expected to be out with a hamstring injury for at least a few more weeks.
While he recovers, the burden that Judge carries for the Yankees will occasionally be a bit less. Come October, though, he has to be firing on all cylinders. More postseason woes will dampen his storied year and plunge another dagger into this increasingly vulnerable fan base.
The post Yankees’ Aaron Boone reveals Aaron Judge switch amid Giancarlo Stanton injury appeared first on ClutchPoints.
