The New York Yankees’ woes are never-ending. Currently near the bottom of the MLB team’s batting average list, ahead of only Detroit and Oakland, the franchise has been struggling without its captain. But Aaron Judge is still on the IL, recovering.

A possibility of immediate return seems far-fetched, but at least Judge seems to be participating in baseball activities now. This is not the outfielder’s first flirtation with long-term injuries that end up hurting the Yankee season, but it certainly seems to be costing them the most. So what exactly happened?

What happened at Dodger Stadium? Is the ballpark really at fault?

On June 3rd of this year, during the Bronx Bombers’ West Coast trip, they came up against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The second game of the series saw Aaron Judge make a spectacular catch in the outfield at Dodger Stadium, with fans lauding his almost superhuman strength. What no one expected was that it would be the last game the Yankees captain would play for a while.

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Judge crashed into the bullpen gate, hitting it open as his body turned awkwardly. Although he got up and threw the ball back, the expression on his face was one of pain. And if the clip from the moment is watched closely, one may observe the cause for that.

Just as he is about to make the catch, Judge’s right toe smashes into the concrete below the gate. It looks unmistakably painful to a viewer, so one can only imagine what Judge was feeling.

How serious is the captain’s injury? Will there be any after-effects?

At first, All-Rise was placed on the 10-day IL with a bruise and strained ligament. However, that break kept getting longer and longer, with frustrating updates from the team. No one wanted to talk about it and even manager Aaron Boone seemingly knew nothing. By the end of the month, fans only knew that Judge had a torn ligament and, unlike other body parts, injuries of the foot take longer to heal.

Why is Aaron Judge’s Injury Covered in Secrecy?

Then at the beginning of July came an alarming update. Judge said that the injury might take years to fully heal but he would prepare to play through some pain. He has been playing catch, keeping his throwing arm in shape, but running is out of the question. Even walking still hurts.

Surgery was thrown into the conversation at first, but the Yankees player has ruled it out for the season. When asked if offseason surgery was in the cards, Judge simply said, “Yeah, but I’m not a doctor.”

What does Judge think about the ballpark’s responsibility?

A collision of any sort is painful, but no one expected this saga to last this long. While the ballpark has announced some renovations, for many Bronx fans, the measures were too little, too late. They want Judge to sue the ballpark for negligence.

The outfielder himself recoiled at the idea, though. He only had three words to say when asked if he was considering legal action. “Nah, no need,” he told New York Daily News.

Amid Toe Injury Recovery, Yankees Captain Aaron Judge May Be Back With ‘Teacherman’ Who Helped Him Become AL MVP Caliber Hitter

Getting entangled in a lawsuit in the middle of a season is no fun and it may even seem a little far-fetched, but at least the ballpark seems to be taking some responsibility.

What does Dodger Stadium think about the issue?

In the aftermath of the incident, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal revealed that Dodger Stadium planned to reinforce the chain-link fence that Judge crashed into. They also intended to add a strip of padding to the concrete that was mainly responsible for Judge’s torn ligament. The injury has kept him sidelined so far and has dearly cost the Yankees, so perhaps it wouldn’t be so outlandish to assume legal recourse. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time a Yankee did it.

Has anyone ever sued a ballpark before?

Former New York Yankees player Dustin Fowler famously sued Guaranteed Rate Field in December 2017. Or rather, technically, he filed a lawsuit against the White Sox and the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority for negligence. On June 29, 2017, Fowler crashed into an unpadded electrical box in right-field foul territory at the stadium.

As a result, the patellar tendon in his right knee ruptured open and he had to undergo surgery. Unfortunately, the injury ended his season before it began. Fowler hadn’t even had his first MLB at-bat yet. To add salt to the wound, it was only the first inning of his major league debut. Naturally, he was not happy with the ballpark’s conditions. The lawsuit was ultimately settled in 2022.

Now as fans look forward to the All-Star break, they are desperately hoping Aaron Judge comes back healthy enough to play.

WATCH THIS STORY – New York’s Nightmare: Aaron Judge’s Injury Update Crushes Hope For the Yankees, Labelling Them a Fraud Franchise