New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo said the team's offense is struggling as the club deals with a significant injury to captain Aaron Judge.

The struggle highlights a critical imbalance in the team's current performance. While the pitching staff has kept the Yankees competitive, the lack of consistent run production threatens the team's momentum during a pivotal stretch of the season.

Speaking with Bob Costas during NBC's Sunday Night Baseball broadcast, Rizzo described the current state of the batting order. "Our offense is going through it right now," Rizzo said [1]. He said that the hitters must increase their production to support the pitching staff.

The offensive dip coincides with the absence of Aaron Judge. Judge is expected to miss four to six weeks [2] due to a stress fracture in his right first rib. The injury has noticeably reduced the team's overall run production [1, 2].

Despite these challenges, the Yankees entered their recent matchup against the Cleveland Guardians with a strong trend, having won six of their previous seven games [3]. However, that momentum stalled in the most recent contest, where the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Yankees 9-4 [3].

Rizzo's comments underscore the pressure on the remaining starters to fill the void left by Judge. The team's ability to maintain its standing in the league will likely depend on whether the offense can recover before the captain returns to the lineup.

“"Our offense is going through it right now."”

The Yankees are facing a critical test of their depth. By relying on a strong pitching staff to offset a struggling offense, the team is operating with a narrow margin for error. The four-to-six-week window for Judge's recovery creates a high-stakes period where the supporting cast must produce or risk a significant slide in the standings.