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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 29: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees gets ready to bat against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on May 29, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees lost their captain, Aaron Judge, on June 2, forcing him to the injured list with a rib injury for an indefinite period.
Judge had been playing through this injury since late April. However, he was forced to reevaluate after he was unable to swing a bat without pain.
While the Yankees are 7-4 since then, a former Yankee feels that Judge’s injury is still going to affect the team long-term on and off the field.
Former Yankee Josh Donaldson addressed the injury on the “Get It Done League” podcast with Russell Martin, and how it will affect the team and Judge moving forward.
The 2015 AL MVP played with Judge and the Yankees from 2022 to 2023. The Yankees traded Gary Sánchez and Gio Urshela for Donaldson, Ben Rortvedt and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to solidify a contender.
It did not go as planned. In his two years in pinstripes, Donaldson stirred up a lot of controversy and didn’t back it up with his play.
In 165 games in New York, Donaldson had a horrible .207/.293/.385 slash line, while ruining his reputation.
But this isn’t the first time that Judge has been injured long-term, and Donaldson saw the impact of one of those. In 2023, Judge injured his toe and played just 106 games, potentially losing out on winning another MVP. In addition, the Yankees would miss the playoffs that year, going 82-80.
Donaldson saw what happened firsthand to the Yankees with that.
“I’ve been in that locker room when Aaron Judge is not playing,” Donaldson said. “It’s not the same team.”
Donaldson may be implying that the locker room and team will be in disarray during Judge’s absence.
However, the Yankees are on a tear despite Judge’s injury and have surged to first place in the AL East. So, is he right in saying that?
Obviously, the Yankees are better off with the three-time MVP than without. Judge is already one of the greatest Yankees of all-time. And that’s saying a lot given their storied history.
Judge’s injury does have a ripple effect on the team. Whenever a team loses its best hitter, the rest of the team often has trouble hitting. Judge is the type of hitter pitchers fear, and therefore makes every other hitter in the lineup better.
While Donaldson can make the obvious statement that the team will not be as good on paper without Judge, it’s unlikely that it is a death knell for the Yankees.
This doesn’t mean that it is a total back-breaker to both the team and the locker room. The Yankees are playing well since his injury, sweeping the Cleveland Guardians and beating the Toronto Blue Jays in a series, both away from Yankee Stadium.
Judge can’t be the only locker room fixture if the Yankees are playing this well. Other veterans are obviously coming together to figure out how to win without the seven-time All-Star.
The New York Yankees face a test this week with the surging Chicago White Sox coming to town. This series could be a preview of how well the Yankees will fare against a hot, playoff-caliber team without their captain.
Matthew Singer Matthew Singer is a sports reporter covering MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2025, and has two years of experience covering local professional, collegiate and high school sports, including writing for Cronkite News and Arizona PBS. More about Matthew Singer
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