Yankees' Aaron Judge Exits vs. Rangers Because of Hip Injury

New York Yankees star outfielder Aaron Judge exited Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field with right hip discomfort.

It marks the second consecutive game in which Judge has dealt with an injury, as he hurt his hand on a slide during Wednesday's matchup against the Minnesota Twins. He was, however, able to stay in the game, and he later said he was feeling "good."

Judge is off to a solid start to the 2023 season, batting .267 with six home runs and 14 RBI in 25 games.

Judge is coming off a historic 2022 season in which he broke the American League record for home runs and won AL MVP. He hit .311/.425/.686 with 62 home runs and 131 RBI during the regular season. The 31-year-old was also the picture of durability, appearing in a career-high 157 games.

For his efforts, the Yankees rewarded Judge with a nine-year, $360 million contract and named him the 16th captain in franchise history. New York faced the risk of losing the star slugger in free agency after he declined a seven-year, $213.5 million extension prior to last season. He ultimately decided to stay and earned an extra $146.5 million by betting on himself.

While Judge is the unquestioned leader for the Yankees, his postseason struggles continued last year. He hit just .139/.184/.306 with two homers and three RBI as New York was swept by the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros in the ALCS. In six trips to the playoffs in his career, Judge has hit just .211/.310/.462. He's recorded more strikeouts than hits four times.

Judge's absence is compounded by that of slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who has been out since April 15 with a hamstring injury.. The Yankees will need players like Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu to carry the offense in the interim.