Yankees get first glimpse of life without Aaron Judge. It’s not pretty

Aaron Boone's lineup will be hard pressed to replace injured Aaron Judge in the coming weeks. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)AP

NEW YORK – The Yankees lineup has officially set sail into a dark, empty place without Aaron Judge. It's grim enough to make Aaron Boone wake up in a cold sweat for the foreseeable future.

Judge will be out for "weeks" according to Boone, which probably means the Yankees won't see him against until the All-Star break. So let's call the development for what it is: the single greatest setback of the 2023 season.

"You can't replace him," is what Josh Donaldson said of Judge. No one could possibly disagree. Although the news about Judge's toe could’ve been worse – it's sprained, not broken – the Yankees will somehow have to compensate for the big man's offense, defensive skill and John Wayne personality that holds the clubhouse together.

Good luck with that.

Tuesday night's 3-2 loss to the White Sox offered the Yankees a glimpse of the Judge-less landscape. Barren perfectly describes a lineup that was no-hitted for 6.2 innings and managed just one legitimate run – Donaldson's solo HR in the ninth inning.

The other run was a sixth-inning gift from the Sox, whose outfielders allowed Isiah Kiner-Falefa's catchable fly ball to fall untouched in left-center, scoring Willie Calhoun all the way from first. The Yankees spent the rest of the night getting schooled by Lucas Giolito, who’d previously posted a career 6.30 ERA against them.

But the missing offense was just a backdrop to the day's more important development. The Yankees waited as long as possible before announcing the extent of Judge's injury. Although No. 99 damaged his toe Saturday night at Dodger Stadium, it took nearly 48 hours for Boone to confirm the club's worst fears.

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The news blackout was strange in its timing, and it's not like the delay yielded significantly more information. Neither Judge nor team orthopedist Dr. Christopher Ahmad were made available to reporters. Boone was left to explain the diagnosis and treatment, which included a PRP injection into Judge's toe.

Unlike cortisone, which offers immediate relief to many, PRP (plasma rich platelets) is a long-acting therapy that uses a patient's own blood to promote healing. The remedy is still considered experimental – and not covered by insurance – but offers Judge the best chance for a full recovery instead of just masking pain.

The good news? A ligament sprain in the big toe is less severe than a bone break or hairline fracture. But it's uncertain whether Judge is in a boot or walking cast, and what he can do to maintain physical condition while recovering.

That's the second part of the timeline the Yankees have yet to disclose. If Judge needs a month to heal, how much more time will it take to regain his batting eye and reflexes? And what about his defense?

One other point. Saturday's episode against the Dodgers represented the second in-game injury of the season. It's fair to wonder whether Judge will, consciously or not, throttle back on defense in the future.

He plays the angles like an expert and without fear. But the Yankees are learning the hard way that life without Judge is more costly than his caution. Ninety percent effort would be more than enough if it improved the odds of keeping Judge off the Injured List.

Donaldson is right: there's no good Plan B if Judge is missing. Everything else is a lousy second choice.

"From the leadership standpoint, the playing standpoint, we’re going to have to come together as a team and grind out at-bats," Donaldson said. "Keep winning ballgames until (Judge) gets back)."

Donaldson's call to action mirrored Boone's, who said the remaining Yankees "have an opportunity to step up and play our game and rack up victories."

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That's no small ask, given the long list of players who are in the shop for repairs.

Nestor Cortes, arguably the Yankees’ best pitcher in 2022, is joining Judge on the IL with a shoulder strain he attributes to "wear and tear." Harrison Bader is out with a bad hamstring. Greg Allen is nursing a hip flexor. And rght-hander Ryan Weber, the surprise star of the bullpen, could be headed for season-ending surgery after an MRI revealed a damaged UCL.

And even the healthy troops are gasping for air. DJ LeMahieu, who sat ot Tuesday's game, looks old and lost. Anthony Volpe, promoted to the No. 5 spot in the lineup, is batting .191 after another hitless night. And Anthony Rizzo has had a particularly bad week with one hit in his last 14 at-bats.

Judge would normally cover for any under-performing Yankee. He's the Bronx’ Charles Atlas, strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. But that's not the same as being indestructible. With wounds up and down the roster and the Rays, winners of four straight and suddenly hot again, the Bombers are back to 7.5 games out.

It's one of those points in the season that feels like a long, flat road to nowhere. The Yankees, entrenched in the third place in the East, are in no danger of being caught by the last-place Red Sox. But they’re in no condition to take on the American League's powerhouses, either.

Not without Judge. Not without the one weapon the rest of the league fears.

Put it this way: you wouldn't want to be in Boone's shoes right now. Or, for that matter, Judge's boot.

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Bob Klapisch may be reached at [email protected].

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