The New York Yankees have acquired utilityman Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals after learning that they’d be without Aaron Judge for at least the next 10 days
The Yankees placed Aaron Judge on the injured list with a flexor strain in his elbow(Image: Getty Images)
The New York Yankees are keeping busy ahead of the MLB trade deadline despite losing their best player for the foreseeable future.
On Saturday, the Yankees acquired utilityman Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals in exchange for right-handed pitcher Clayton Beeter and outfielder Browm Martinez. One day prior, New York addressed its gaping hole at third base by trading for Ryan McMahon.
Over 46 games this season, Rosario is slashing .270/.310/.426 with five home runs, 18 RBIs and seven walks. The former Met has played at third, second, shortstop and outfield — the latter of which will come in handy while Aaron Judge remains sidelined with a flexor strain in his right elbow.
READ MORE: ESPN host apologizes for her outfit at Green Bay Packers training campREAD MORE: Scottie Scheffler’s ‘childish’ financial agreement with caddie after $3.1 million win
Though losing Judge — one of the frontrunners for this year’s American League MVP award — for any period of time is not ideal, the Yankees have appeared to avoid the worst.
The 33-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list and will not require surgery after a scan revealed no damage to his ulnar collateral ligament.
“All in all, we got good news today,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I think all of us kind of feared the worst.”
Speaking to reporters on the heels of the Yankees’ 9-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, Judge conceded that he now finds himself in unfamiliar territory. “I never had any really elbow issues or anything like that,” he said.
“You never know what you’re kind of getting into, but I’m glad it’s just it is what it is.”
Judge will not throw a baseball for the next 10-14 days, but there is hope that he can come off the IL when eligible and serve as the Yankees designated hitter.
The New York Yankees have acquired Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals(Image: Getty Images)
“Throwing is the main concern,” the two-time MVP explained. “Hitting happens too quick, and it’s not really the motion that I felt anything.
“I think the muscle that hurts is the muscle used to grip, so there might be some issues with that. But I’ve been hitting the past couple of days, so if I can hit, get me out there.”
It remains to be seen how the Yankees lineup will fare without Judge, whose unparalleled production can’t be replicated. Entering play Saturday, he led MLB in batting average (.342) and OPS (1.160) while ranking second in home runs (37) and RBIs (85).
To make matters worse, the Yankees have lost seven of their last 10 games and are 14-23 since June 13 — the second-worse record in the league during that stretch.
Judge, for one, is still confident that his teammates will carry the load in his absence. “They’re going to be just fine,” he said. “The guys are going to step up. I think that’s what it comes down to.”