Aaron Judge Comes Back to New York Yankees after a 42-Game Absence
Aaron Judge sat out for 42 games due to a toe injury sustained at Dodger Stadium. He returned to his team, the New York Yankees, for the first time since June, for a crucial series against the Baltimore Orioles.
His toe injury involved a torn ligament in his big toe, but he decided against surgery to end his season. The Yankees initially listed him as out indefinitely, but he made significant progress in his rehab.
"I want to be there when times are tough," said Judge.
The Yankees have recently experienced poor performances in their batting. Last year's American League MVP returned to help change their fortunes. After his return, the Yankees still had a disappointing night at Camden Yards. The Orioles won the match in a one-run game, with a walk-off home run by Anthony Santander.
Judge may not be fully recovered, but his presence could elevate the Yankees' offense. The Yankees' coaching department has undergone changes, with the firing of Dillon Lawson and the hiring of Sean Casey as the new hitting coach.
Yankees' Offensive Struggles
The atmosphere at Camden Yards on the night of this game had a playoff feel, with Yankees fans filling the stands. The Orioles won a pitchers' duel, with a 1-0 score. Gerrit Cole pitched seven innings and allowed just three hits, but this wasn't enough for the Yankees.
The Yankees scored a lowly ten runs in their previous five losses. The Yankees struggled without Judge's presence in the middle of their lineup. Although Giancarlo Stanton had a recent power surge, he's still hitting below the Mendoza Line. DJ LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo also faced difficulties.
The 2023 Yankees are now the second-worst hitting team in baseball, with an average of .229. Compared to historic teams, they share the same batting average as the 1914 Yankees. Only the 1967 and 1968 Yankees had lower batting averages, which are considered some of the worst teams in their franchise's history.
Tight Wild Card Race
In the American League, the three division leaders are the Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, and Minnesota Twins. If the season ended at this point, they'd each secure a playoff spot.
The other spots would be occupied by the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros.
The Yankees (54-49) still have a chance at making the playoffs, being 3.5 games behind in the AL Wild Card standings. They are, however, one of four teams fighting for wild card positions. The others are the Boston Red Sox (1.5 games back), Los Angeles Angels (4 games back), and Seattle Mariners (4.5 games back).
Potential Additions
With the trade deadline approaching, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is actively seeking a leftfielder. It's doubtful the San Diego Padres will trade Juan Soto. The Yankees are also considering Jeimer Candelario from the Washington Nationals as a replacement for Josh Donaldson, who's out for the season due to a calf strain.
The Yankees' starting pitchers have suffered injuries. The delayed debut of Carlos Rodon has left them in need of reinforcement in this position as well.
The Yankees are in fifth place in the AL East, nine games below their division leaders, the Orioles.
The hope is that Judge's return will boost the Yankees' performance in the remaining games. It remains to be seen if the team can make a postseason push.
The Futures Market's Response to Judge’s Return
The Yankees (54-49) are in the bottom spot in the AL East, with nine games separating them from the Orioles.
The Orioles overtook the Rays, who had a 13-0 start and 20-3 record early in the season, to take first place. The Rays have stumbled this July, but they still trail the Orioles by 1.5 games.
The Blue Jays currently occupy the third position, 5.5 games behind the league leaders.
The Red Sox (56-47) sit fourth, but seven games off the lead and only two games ahead of the Yankees.
Judge's return to the Yankees for their crucial series against the Orioles was an attempt to turn around the team's luck. However, it wasn't enough to save them in this particular game, where they lost to a walk-off home run by Anthony Santander.
Judge's presence could have positively impacted their batting. The Yankees' hitting has been poor, as seen in their ten runs in their previous five losses. His return from a toe injury might have been expected to improve their offensive performance.
Fanatical Yankees supporters hold on to the belief that their team, the Bronx Bombers, will heat up in August. However, the analytical experts at FanGraphs present a more somber forecast. There's a 28.3% chance the Yankees will snag a playoff spot, and only a 1.9% chance they'll emerge as World Series champions. They've got a 2% likelihood of rising from last place to first place and winning the AL East division.
The futures market from DraftKings also paints a gloomy picture. The Yankees have +3500 odds of taking home the 2023 World Series trophy, and +2000 odds for the AL pennant. The struggling Bronx Bombers are listed as the underdog in the AL East race with +3000 odds.
The Yankees now have -265 odds on missing the playoffs, as stated in a prop bet from DraftKings. Meanwhile, they're +220 odds for mounting a late-season comeback and snagging a playoff spot. Time is running out with just 59 games left to be played.
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Source: www.casino.org
