Is Aaron Judge Injured or Healthy? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update

June 19, 2024

Is Aaron Judge injured or healthy for today's game? Andy looks at the latest MLB injury reports and the fantasy baseball injury outlook for Aaron Judge.

After getting off to a slow start in April, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (hand) has been one of the best hitters in baseball and could win his second AL MVP award this summer.

Through 74 games this season, the 32-year-old holds a .302/.428/.687 slash line with 26 home runs, five swiped bags, 64 RBI, and a 57:82 BB:K ratio.

However, on Tuesday, June 18, the superstar was hit by a pitch on his left hand and had to leave the game. How serious is Aaron Judge’s injury? Let’s take a look at the latest report and find out

Aaron Judge Injury Update

Judge went for testing on his left hand after leaving the game early after being hit by an Albert Suarez fastball. In the fourth inning. 

Aaron Judge has left tonight's game early after being hit by a pitch during the third inning.

Watch #YANKSonYES live on YES and the YES App: https://t.co/aRu5PF6iD2 pic.twitter.com/SvpLBaNM4g

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 19, 2024

Fortunately, all of the results came back clean, providing a positive outlook. Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports that he is not dealing with any fractures. Judge even spoke with the media after the game and was in good spirits, further indicating a favorable recovery. 

Aaron Judge provided an update on his left hand. And it was good news. pic.twitter.com/gqUtt5SZQO

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 19, 2024

This is a promising development, as Judge seems to have avoided a significant injury and could potentially make a swift return to the lineup, possibly as early as later this week.

Aaron Judge Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Aaron Judge is a must-start option in all fantasy leagues and could very well finish as the top player in fantasy as he did in 2022. While Judge could sit out the next few games out of caution, fantasy managers can take a big sigh of relief knowing their first-round selection should not face any significant setbacks after this minor injury.

Since May 1, the Fresno State product has had an incredible .376/.495/.899 line with 20 home runs and 46 RBI. His underlying metrics also suggest that Judge is in the works for another MVP season, as he carries a 27.6% barrel rate and 62.7% hard-hit rate, which are the best among qualified hitters. In addition, he holds a 17.4% walk rate and 18.3% chase rate, which place him in the top 99th and 96th percentile rate. 

Fantasy managers should pay close attention to the Yankees starting lineup over the next few days but should not worry about the long-term status of their superstar.

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