Three-time MVP Aaron Judge exited the New York Yankees’ game against the Twins early on Wednesday afternoon with what the team later called right lower leg tightness. Judge had gone 0 for 2 with two strikeouts and was then replaced with Heliot Ramos in the lineup.
Judge missed all of June, July and August with a rib injury before returning to the Yankees’ lineup without a minor-league rehab assignment on Sept. 8. He hit his first home run since the return on Monday night, a prodigious shot to the upper deck down the left-field line, but then sat out on Tuesday and left Wednesday’s game early.
The Yankees are playoff-bound, but any injury to Judge would be a significant blow to their chances of stealing the AL East from the Rays, let alone making a deep playoff run.