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New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge may not be able to play for his team right now, but that doesn’t mean he’s looking away from the poor performances they’ve had lately.
Judge was blunt with his response to the Yankees losing six games before their series finale against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday afternoon in the Bronx.
“Well, it’s not great,” he said after his team’s troubles. “Just a little lack of focus. We’ve just got to grind it out. Our ultimate goal is to win a World Series. I think guys have to remember that every single day they come out here, we’re here to win a World Series.”
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Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees sits in the dugout before a game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California on May 29, 2026. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Judge didn’t go into specifics about what the lack of focus is, but he followed up by saying, “I think you guys see it.”
Judge, who has been on the injured list with a rib injury, believes getting the franchise’s elusive 28th world championship should be enough motivation to right the ship.
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“That should motivate you every single day you step on that field, no matter what happens, no matter what happens the day before,” he added. “I have a job to do. We have an important sign when you go out into the field. It’s the last sign you see before you’re out there: it says ‘do your job’.” Guys are here to do their job.”
Unfortunately for the Yankees, Judge’s pregame speech did not end the losing streak on Wednesday. They fell to Detroit 6–2 in 11 innings, with four runs scored in the top of the 11th by the Tigers.
The Yankees have lost seven straight and eight of their last 10 games to fall three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL East lead.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees reacts after being thrown out in the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts on June 28, 2026. (Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
Yes, the Yankees remain in clear playoff position and sit atop the American League Wild Card standings despite the skid. But even though the AL has been mediocre this season, it’s still a close race as other teams start to get right.
New York could certainly use their captain back on the field, but there’s no timetable for his return and he didn’t have anything positive to say about his rehab in terms of putting the pinstripes back on anytime soon.
“You know how it goes here — guys can feel good, feel bad, but you’ve got to wait for shots,” Judge said of his rib. The Yankees said when he was diagnosed with the injury that they would have additional imaging done about four to six weeks later.
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, injured, runs drills in the outfield before a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays, Thursday, July 31, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
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“There is no need to talk about this now,” the judge said. “I know it’s an important topic and a big issue, but I want to give you the whole story.”
The story right now for the Yankees is bleak, but there is a lot of season left to play. Perhaps the All-Star break, which begins on July 13, could be a good reset as they look to get back to their winning ways.
