Something feels off with the New York Yankees.
After a 7-1 loss on Sunday to the Houston Astros, New York has now dropped seven of nine games and sits 6.5 games back of the American League East lead (Toronto Blue Jays). The Yankees still have the third wild card spot, but for a team that had a comfortable lead in the division earlier in the season, vibes aren’t great.
Part of the issue is that Aaron Judge isn’t himself. Judge suffered a right flexor strain in late July that landed him on the IL. Since Judge returned to the lineup on August 5 (in a DH role), he’s gone 3-for-15 without an extra-base hit.
It’s quite possible that Judge isn’t anywhere close to 100 percent but opted to return before his Yankees slid even further in the standings.
There are other concerns about New York, starting with its manager. Fans are frustrated with Aaron Boone, who has maintained a steadfast belief in his ball club in the face of growing media scrutiny about the job he’s doing managing that club.
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After Sunday’s defeat, Boone told reporters that his players might be “feeling it” due to the tough stretch of losing, a reference to the psychological challenges facing the Yankees.
When Judge was asked about Boone’s comments following the game, Judge wasn’t afraid to disagree with his manager’s assessment of the situation.
“We’re just not playing good baseball,” Judge said, per SNY. “I wouldn’t say guys are ‘feeling it’ … we have a tough group in here. It does not feel good losing.”
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“We’re not doing our job; we’re not doing the little things that put ourselves in position to win baseball games,” Judge added. “It’s going to take all of us … I wouldn’t say the confidence has really changed.”
Judge and the Yankees were set to begin a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Monday at Yankee Stadium. With just 44 games remaining in the regular season, time is running out for New York to regain a foothold in the competitive AL East.
