Aaron Judge exits after hit by pitch on hand

NEW YORK — Aaron Judge exited the Yankees’ game against the Orioles on Tuesday night in the bottom of the fourth inning, one inning after he was hit by a pitch on the left hand.

The Yankees announced that Judge would undergo imaging at New York-Presbyterian Hospital on Tuesday night. He is expected to be seen by Yankees head team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad.

The Yankees’ captain took a 94 mph fastball from Albert Suárez off the bottom of his left hand in the third inning of New York’s series opener at Yankee Stadium.

Judge initially stayed in the game, running the bases and returning to play center field in the top of the fourth. But he was pinch-hit for by Trent Grisham in the bottom of the fourth, and Grisham also took over in center.

When he was hit, Judge looked to be in immediate pain, dropping his bat, clutching his hand and grimacing as he spun out of the batter’s box, taking a few steps toward the pitcher’s mound. He then took a slow, circuitous route through the right side of the infield and back around to first base, where he was examined by the Yankees’ training staff.

After a lengthy conversation, Judge remained in the game, eventually coming around to score on a Giancarlo Stanton RBI single that gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead. But after returning to the dugout, he went straight down the tunnel toward the Yankees’ clubhouse.

Judge emerged from the tunnel a short while later, grabbing his glove and jogging back out to the outfield when the Yankees took the field in the top of the fourth. He played the whole inning on defense, but with Judge’s turn at-bat coming up three batters into the bottom of the inning, Grisham emerged in the on-deck circle in his place.

Judge’s injury came on the same day Anthony Rizzo was placed on the injured list with a fractured right forearm, suffered during a collision running through at first base during the Yankees’ series finale against the Red Sox on Sunday, which will keep him out of game action for approximately two months.

Judge has been on a historic tear for the Bronx Bombers. He entered Tuesday’s clash against New York’s American League East rivals leading the Majors with 26 home runs, 64 RBIs, a .686 slugging percentage and a 1.110 OPS.