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During Wednesday’s game between the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins, Aaron Judge exited early due to right lower leg tightness, raising concerns as he had just returned from a three-month absence caused by a stress fracture in his rib. The Yankees ultimately lost the closely contested match 5-4 after 13 innings when Victor Caratini’s ground ball led to the winning run scoring in the bottom of the 13th inning. With only ten games left in the regular season and trailing the Tampa Bay Rays by four games for the division lead, the Yankees face a critical period as they aim to keep Judge healthy for potential playoff action.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In his seventh game back from a three-month injury absence due to a stress fracture in his right rib, Aaron Judge was pinch hit for by Heliot Ramos in the sixth inning of a two-run game against the Twins on Wednesday at Target Field. The move raised concerns as Judge appeared to grimace during a swing earlier but continued playing until he left the game early with an undisclosed injury, likely tightness in his right lower leg. With only 10 games remaining in the regular season, the Yankees are cautious about losing their star player again, currently trailing the Rays by four games for first place in the division. The team’s focus is now on ensuring Judge returns healthy and ready for the playoffs rather than worrying about securing a better seed in the AL wild card round.
Written for “Aaron Judge Injury Concerns” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
MINNEAPOLIS — With a single pinch hitter, the outcome of Wednesday afternoon’s game suddenly felt a whole lot less relevant.
asserted
outcome → feel → game
Because Aaron Judge was the hitter being replaced, coming off an off day, in his seventh game back from missing three-plus months with a stress fracture in his right rib.
asserted
Judge → replace → rib
Yankees lost the game 5-4 to the Twins in 13 innings, but whether they lost more than that remains to be seen after Judge exited the game early with what the team said was right lower leg tightness.
asserted
team → lose → game
They added insult to injury when Victor Caratini hit a ground ball up the middle that bounced under George Lombard Jr.’s glove, allowing the winning run to score in the bottom of the 13th.
asserted
run → add → 13th
With 10 games left in the regular season, the Yankees can ill afford to lose Judge again.
They now trail the Rays by four games for the division, ahead of Tampa’s game on Wednesday night, but getting Judge back healthy in time for the playoffs outweighs whether or not they have to settle for the top AL wild card.
asserted
they → leave → card
The Yankees had been fairly cautious in easing Judge back into action after his extended absence and not going on a rehab assignment before returning.
asserted
Yankees → ease → assignment
He had two days fully out of the lineup across his first six games, the most recent one coming on Tuesday after he had played four straight games.
asserted
he → have → games
But after Judge appeared to grimace on a check swing during his at-bat in the third inning, Heliot Ramos pinch hit for him in the sixth inning when his spot came up again.
asserted
spot → appear → inning
Judge’s early exit came on a day when the Yankees nearly got shut out before Anthony Volpe drilled a two-out, two-run double off the wall in right-center field to tie the game 2-2 in the top of the ninth off former Yankee Yoendrys Gómez.
asserted
Volpe → come → Gómez
Ali Sánchez then gave the Yankees their first lead of the day in the top of the 10th, when the backup catcher lined a single up the middle to score the automatic runner.
asserted
catcher → give → runner
But the Twins immediately tied it up in the bottom of the 10th against David Bednar, when Luke Keaschall led off with an RBI single.
asserted
Keaschall → tie → single
Austin Martin then reached on a bunt single after Bednar double clutched the throw to first.
asserted
Bednar → reach → first
Still, Bednar rebounded by striking out Ryan Jeffers and getting Josh Bell to ground into a double play to extend the game.
asserted
Bell → rebound → game
José Caballero put the Yankees back on top, 4-3, with a sacrifice fly in the top of the 11th.
asserted
Caballero → put → 11th
But it was matched in the bottom of the frame on one from Royce Lewis against Bednar that tied the game at four.
asserted
that → match → four
In the top of the 12th, the Yankees loaded the bases for Ramos, who hit a chopper to the pitcher for a 1-2-3 double play, before Sánchez struck out.
asserted
Sánchez → load → play
But John Schreiber held the line in a two-pitch bottom of the frame, picking off the automatic runner at second base and then getting an inning-ending double play.
asserted
Schreiber → hold → play
Carlos Rodón was solid, giving up two runs across six innings, marking the 25th consecutive start in which he has allowed three runs or fewer.
asserted
he → give → runs
The left-hander’s velocity was down across the board in his first three innings, including the first inning in which he spotted the Twins a 1-0 lead.
asserted
he → include → lead
Rodón’s velocity started to tick back up by the fourth inning, though that did not do him much good in the fifth when his 94.2 mph fastball to Ryan Kreidler ended up in the left field seats to put the Twins up 2-0.
asserted
fastball → start → Twins
Clarke Schmidt relieved Rodón to start the seventh inning, making his first appearance after coming back from Tommy John surgery last July.
asserted
Schmidt → relieve → surgery
He gave up a pair of bloop singles and struck out two before Brent Headrick came on to strand both runners.
asserted
Headrick → give → runners
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