Yankees' Aaron Judge removed from Twins game with lower leg injury

Gary Phillips, New York Daily News on Sep 16, 2026

Published in Baseball

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MINNESOTA — Aaron Judge’s health has the Yankees holding their breath once again.

The slugger left Wednesday’s 5-4, 13-inning loss to the Twins prematurely when Heliot Ramos pinch hit for him with a runner on and one out in the top of the sixth inning. It was a concerning development, as the Yankees were only down two runs at the time, and Judge got the day off on Tuesday.

A short time later, the Yankees announced that Judge exited the game with tightness in his lower right leg. The news comes with the right fielder just seven games removed from a 99-day absence for a stress fracture in his first right rib.

Judge appeared to grimace on Wednesday when he took a check swing on the first pitch of his third-inning at-bat. However, he initially remained in the game for a few innings.

Judge could also be seen hobbling in the outfield on a play he wasn’t involved in during the bottom of the fifth inning. He came out of the game soon after.

Judge’s latest injury scare also comes with just 10 games left in the regular season. The Yankees have the day off on Thursday before beginning a three-game series at Arizona’s turfed Chase Field.

The second-place Yanks, who have already secured a playoff berth, will then play a crucial four-game series against the division-leading Rays.

Judge, who went 0 for 2 with two strikeouts before departing on Wednesday, hasn’t had much success at the plate since coming off the injured list on Sept. 8. He did crush a three-run homer in Monday’s victory over the Twins, but he entered that game 3 for 17 (.176) with zero extra-base hits in his first five games back after skipping a rehab assignment and facing live pitching just once.

While his contributions have been minimal on paper, the Yankees have been thrilled to have Judge back in a lineup that struggled mightily without him. With Judge’s mere presence impacting the way those around him are attacked, the Bombers had one of the worst offenses in baseball while the back-to-back MVP was on the IL, ranking last in K% (26.1%); 29th in wRC+ (90) and average (.227); 28th in wOBA (.299); 27th in OPS (.681); and 24th in runs scored (341) from June 2 through Sept. 7.

Prior to Wednesday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone had repeatedly said that he’s been “pleased” with the way Judge has been responding physically since returning to game action. Judge, who has said he wants to be playing every day, said much of the same over the weekend.