'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
This past weekend, New York Yankees fans received news that their team's captain, Aaron Judge, had torn a ligament in his toe and would miss several weeks.
With the team already struggling to put wins together with the ease they did in 2022, many fans believed the news to be fatal to the team's hopes. Judge was injured after catching a flyball in Los Angeles on June 3. Originally thought to have a broken toe, the 6-foot-7 outfielder came out weeks later to let fans know that the situation was more dire than originally thought.
Following Judge's assignment to the IL, the team went on a regrettable spell. The team went 6-10 with six of their ten losses coming against the Boston Red Sox. Moreover, the team's batting average is just .196 over the past 15 days, representing the lowest number in the AL.
Trending
On June 25, the Yankees played host to the Texas Rangers. Texas has the second-best record in the AL. Ahead of the clash, many Yankees fans believed their team would be steamrolled.
"Series Win" - New York Yankees
After trailing for most of the game as a result of three earned runs in four innings from Gerrit Cole, RBIs from Harrison Bader and Giancarlo Stanton in the eighth inning secured the 5-3 win.
The victory represented the second straight series win for the Bronx Bombers after losing four and tying one. While there remains significant work to be done, many Yankees fans took relief in the series win against Texas.
Without Aaron Judge in the lineup, the Yankees score almost half as many runs. This has led many to point out that the team may be over-reliant on their captain. However, Giancarlo Stanton's RBI single was a huge win for the outfielder, who has hit just .191 in the month of June.
New York Yankees still face an uphill battle despite character win
With a record of 43-35, the New York Yankees are still staring down 9.5 games between them and the Tampa Bay Rays, who lead the AL East. While the team is still very much on the AL Wild Card scene, playing without Judge still appears to be unnatural to the team.
It is unsure when, or if, Judge will be able to come back this season. If he doesn't, then at least the team will be playing to prove to themselves that they can survive without him.
