NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees star Aaron Judge said X-rays and a CT scan were negative after he was hit on the left hand by a 94.1 mph fastball from Albert Suárez on Tuesday night and forced from New York's 4-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
“Feeling better after I got some good news," Judge said after returning to Yankee Stadium from New York–Presbyterian Hospital. “A big relief. Just being hit there before a couple of years ago and breaking the wrist, you never know what’s going to happen. So finding out that it’s not fractured, not broken, is definitely a sigh of relief.”
Gritting his teeth and flexing the hand, Judge went to first base in the third inning. He was examined by an athletic trainer and remained in the game. He scored on Giancarlo Stanton's single and then went up the tunnel toward the clubhouse.
Judge played center field in the top of the fourth inning but was lifted for pinch-hitter Trent Grisham in the bottom half.
“Any time you get hit by 94, 95 up and in like that and especially in the hands where there’s so many small bones,” he said, “you just never know what’s going to happen and what it’s going to be.”
Judge said there is swelling but he hoped not to miss any games. He was angered there were several inside pitches to him.
The slugger is hitting .302 and leads the major leagues with 26 homers and 64 RBIs. The 32-year-old is a five-time All-Star and was the 2022 AL MVP after hitting 62 home runs to break the AL record of 61 by Roger Maris set in 1961.
Judge missed 45 games in 2018 with a broken right wrist after he was hit by a pitch from Kansas City's Jakob Junis.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts broke his left hand Sunday when hit by a pitch from Royals pitcher Dan Altavilla and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
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New York Yankees' Aaron Judge reacts to getting hit by a pitch from Baltimore Orioles' Albert Suárez during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
ST. ALBANS, Vt. (AP) — Vermont has agreed to pay $175,000 to settle a lawsuit on behalf of a man who was charged with a crime for giving a state trooper the middle finger in 2018, the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday.
The lawsuit was filed in 2021 by the ACLU of Vermont on behalf of Gregory Bombard, of St. Albans. It says Bombard's First Amendment rights were violated after an unnecessary traffic stop and retaliatory arrest in 2018.
Trooper Jay Riggen stopped Bombard’s vehicle in St. Albans on Feb. 9, 2018, because he believed Bombard had shown him the middle finger, according to the lawsuit. Bombard denied that but says he did curse and display the middle finger once the initial stop was concluded.
Bombard was stopped again and arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct, and his car was towed. He was jailed for over an hour and cited to criminal court, according to the ACLU. The charge was eventually dismissed.
Under the settlement signed by the parties this month, the state has agreed to pay Bombard $100,000 and $75,000 to the ACLU of Vermont and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression for legal fees.
“While our client is pleased with this outcome, this incident should never have happened in the first place," said Hillary Rich, staff attorney for the ACLU of Vermont, in a statement. “Police need to respect everyone’s First Amendment rights — even for things they consider offensive or insulting.”
The Vermont State Police did not have a comment on the settlement. Vermont did not admit any wrongdoing as part of the deal.
Bombard said in a statement provided by the ACLU that he hopes the Vermont State Police will train its troopers “to avoid silencing criticism or making baseless car stops."
This story has been updated to correct the name of an organization to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, instead of the Foundation of Individual Rights and Expression.
This image taken from police dashcam video shows Gregory Bombard getting arrested on Feb. 9, 2018 n St. Albans, Vt. Vermont has agreed to pay $175,000 to settle a lawsuit on behalf of Bombard who was charged with a crime for giving a state trooper the middle finger in 2018, the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (American Civil Liberties Union/Vt. State Police via AP)
This image taken from police dashcam video shows Gregory Bombard getting arrested on Feb. 9, 2018 n St. Albans, Vt. Vermont has agreed to pay $175,000 to settle a lawsuit on behalf of Bombard who was charged with a crime for giving a state trooper the middle finger in 2018, the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (American Civil Liberties Union/Vt. State Police via AP)
