Aaron Judge exits Yankees game with right lower leg tightness amid AL East race

Three-time MVP Aaron Judge exited the New York Yankees loss to the Minnesota Twins (5-4 in 13 innings) early Wednesday afternoon with what the team later called right lower leg tightness. Judge had gone 0 for 2 with two strikeouts, then was replaced by pinch-hitter Heliot Ramos in the sixth inning.

"Said he felt a little something after the first inning. Hopefully it's something we were able to catch," manager Aaron Boone explained after the game, adding he doesn't know yet if Judge will miss any games. "... He'll get treatment and stuff. Obviously he's already had a lot of treatment. Treatment tomorrow, then we'll see what we got."

Judge missed all of June, July, and August with a fractured top right rib before returning to the Yankees 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, then sat out Tuesday as a planned rest day before exiting Wednesday's game early.

"Obviously he's a key figure to what we're doing," Boone added. "Get it treated and knock it out, and be a factor at some point."

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 Tampa Bay Rays, let alone making a deep playoff run. Wednesday's loss dropped the Yankees to four games behind the Rays, pending the outcome of Tampa's game Wednesday night. The two teams have a four-game series next week.

Here is New York's remaining schedule:

DatesOpponents

Sept. 18-20

at Diamondbacks

Sept. 22-24

vs. Rays

Sept. 25-27

vs. Orioles

The Yankees and Rays have a doubleheader on Sept. 22 and that four-game series is the only reason New York remains in the AL East race, though it is a long shot. The Rays lead the season series 6-4, meaning one win in those four games next week will give Tampa the tiebreaker and effectively add another game to the division lead.

To put numbers on it: If the Rays go 6-6 in their final 12 games, the Yankees must go 9-1 in their final 10 games to win the AL East if they sweep those four games and get the tiebreaker, and 10-0 if they don't. Assuming they don't win the AL East, the Yankees are likely to host the No. 5 seed (currently the Boston Red Sox) at Yankee Stadium in the Wild Card Series.

The Yankees are also without center fielder Trent Grisham, who has a hamstring strain and may not return during the regular season. His status for the postseason is up in the air. Ramos would again step in as the everyday right fielder if Judge has to miss time. He came over at the trade deadline and played the outfield every day until Judge returned, then shifted into a platoon role.

The Red Sox have a very left-handed-heavy pitching staff. Judge's righty presence would be sorely missed if he's unavailable for a potential Wild Card Series.

"This just happened. I have no idea, so I've got no answer for you," Judge told reporters, including the New York Daily News, when asked if he could have tests on his leg. "But I'd say probably not."

So far this season, in 66 games, Judge is hitting .241/.360/.511 with 18 home runs and 41 RBI. He won the last two American League MVPs and had taken three of the previous four. The Yankees need a fully functional Judge in order to be a dangerous playoff team.