With a $360M Contract Eating Up 14% Of Yankees Payroll, Aaron Judge Continues Playing Through Torn Ligament to Prove Worth in Meaningless Game

“Start spreading the news”, New York is officially done for the season. It’s been a tough year for baseball in the Bronx. With too many injuries to count and an underperforming roster, there is a seemingly incompetent front office to boot. Now, the New York Yankees have been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention. Even so, Aaron Judge will not let things end without some dignity.

The captain has been shouldering the weight of a nine-man roster this season. His superhuman strength would allow it too, had he not been doing it alone. Not to mention, a severe toe injury has slowed him down in the latter half of 2023. But the reigning AL MVP doesn’t want his hard-fought-for $360 million contract to prove unworthy. Judge will do anything to establish that it wasn’t all a waste.

Even With a Toe Injury, Aaron Judge Continues Dangerous Rain Play

The last few days have seen some serious weather action in the form of rain delay. The Yankees vs. Arizona Diamondbacks game scheduled for Saturday had already been postponed. When Sunday showed the same signs, the teams played through bad weather anyway. It resulted in a loss for the home team, firmly removing them from the playoffs. But it was also a potentially dangerous game for the Yankees captain.

Aaron Judge has been dealing with a toe injury since colliding into the Dodger Stadium outfield wall on June 3rd. A torn ligament in his toe caused him to miss two months and over 50 games, with an off-season surgery suggestion being thrown around. Nevertheless, the outfielder came back with multiple PFP injections and some lingering pain, determined to be there for his teammates.

While Judge has not been playing at full power, he’s still a marvel to behold. Given more time to rest, 2024 could be a wonderful comeback for All-Rise. But in this last stretch of the season where playing is essentially useless, Judge refuses to back down.

A stunt like yesterday’s, playing on the mud-slicked ground in the rain, could attract more danger, but the Yankees star slugger remains steadfast. Maybe it’s his role as leader, or maybe it’s the weight of his massive contract. It’s not as if the Bronx club, rated second in MLB payrolls, cannot afford it. But who doesn’t like to see their investments pay off?

The Yankees Captain Wants To Set An Example For Teammates

Voicing out his frustrations at all the hard work not yielding the desired results, Judge spoke to reporters on Sunday. “I’m planning on being out there. There was talks of stuff getting shut down, but I gotta be out there. A leader on this team, especially with these young guys we got coming up, you gotta show them that you gotta post even if you’re not feeling good, not feeling great,” he said.

READ MORE – Is Aaron Judge Going to Sue Dodger Stadium?

“You gotta be out there every single day for your teammates.” With seven games remaining in the last week and a half, the Yankees will not bow out in disgrace, it seems.

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