Following the New York Yankees' loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters that slugger Aaron Judge would go on the injured list because of a toe contusion and sprained toe ligament.
On Wednesday afternoon, the move became official as the Yankees placed Judge on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 4, with a right great toe sprain. In a corresponding move, the team signed outfielder Billy McKinney and added him to the active roster. Reliever Ryan Weber was moved to the 60-day IL.
Boone said there was no fracture in the toe. The manager added that Judge underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection to reduce swelling around the injury. How quickly that swelling subsides will play a role in determining how long Judge will be sidelined.
Judge sustained the injury on Saturday in Los Angeles while making a highlight catch against the Dodgers:
He hasn't played since, which enabled the Yankees to make the move retroactive to Sunday. As a result of Judge's injury, the Dodgers say they will reinforce that portion of the Dodger Stadium wall in right field and add padding along the bottom.
The Yankee lineup will no doubt miss Judge during his forthcoming absence. Coming off an American League-record 62 homers and MVP honors in 2022, Judge this season is slashing .291/.404/.674 with 19 home runs in 49 games. Those 19 home runs pace the AL right now; he leads the majors in slugging, OPS, and OPS+. Judge, 31, this past offseason signed a nine-year, $360 million contract that figures to keep him in the Bronx through the 2031 season.
Tuesday's loss dropped the Yankees to 36-26 on the season. They're in third place in the tough AL East.
