New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge didn’t hide the fact that he felt upset some fans at Yankee Stadium chanted for All-Star slugger Juan Soto to replace struggling outfielder Trent Grisham before Grisham hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning of New York’s 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night.
“I wasn’t too happy about it,” Judge said about hearing “we want Soto” chants before Grisham’s at-bat, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. “But I think he made a good point.”
Soto, among the betting favorites to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award, didn’t play in the three-game series because of what’s been referred to as forearm inflammation. It was believed the 25-year-old could have been available off the bench on Sunday, and he seems on track to play against the Kansas City Royals at some point between Monday and Thursday.
“I’m happy for Grish,” Soto told Heyman after Grisham became a temporary Yankees hero. “We need everybody in this clubhouse. I’m glad he did that.”
Grisham had just an .082 batting average on the season when the 27-year-old stepped up to the plate to face Tyler Glasnow in the sixth inning of Sunday’s game. When Grisham next entered the batter’s box in the eighth inning following his homer, he heard “we want Grisham” chants from the Yankees faithful in attendance.
“I liked those, too,” Grisham said about the support he received late in Sunday’s win, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).
The 46-21 Yankees can afford to play it safe with Soto until he feels he’s 100 percent. First-place New York began Monday holding a two-and-half-game lead over the second-place Baltimore Orioles in the AL East standings.
“Soto’s going to heal up and be fine, but, man, Grish is a heck of a ballplayer,” Judge added after the victory, per Jorge Castillo of ESPN. “He showed up tonight in the big moment when we needed him.”
As of late Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Yankees second (+500 odds) among the betting favorites to win the World Series behind only the Dodgers (+290). While Grisham probably appreciated Judge’s words, the fact that New York dropped two of three games to Los Angeles without Soto may have shown just how much the Bronx Bombers will need their offseason acquisition this coming fall.