After Brett Gardner cracked a game-winning home run for the New York Yankees on Thursday night, rookie slugger Aaron Judge cracked a tooth.
Gardner's home run in the 11th inning gave the Yankees a 6-5 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays. As Gardner neared home plate, he took off his helmet and rolled it toward the group of players celebrating, ESPN reported.
Replays showed the helmet bouncing up and hitting Judge in the mouth, knocking the 6-foot-7 player back as he recoiled in pain.
Video replays were inconclusive, but it appeared as if the helmet bounced off the back of catcher Austin Romine as he jumped up and down with Gardner. The force of Romine’s leap caused the helmet to smack Judge in the mouth, ESPN reported.
“Somehow he got hit in the celebration," Yankees manager Joe Girardi told ESPN.
A Yankees spokesman announced that Judge had chipped a tooth. Judge was unavailable for comment but was expected to start Friday night's game against the Rays.
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