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After Aaron Judge's catch, Dodgers to add padding to right field fence

Jun 3, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) catches a fly ball by Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter J.D. Martinez (28) in the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium.

Of the many happenings during the Yankees’ three-game series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles last weekend, Aaron Judge’s catch through the right-field wall is at the top.

Saturday night, J.D. Martinez drove a pitch for a sure extra-base hit off of Michael King in the eighth inning of New York’s 6-3 win. However, the reigning AL MVP tracked down the liner and caught the ball before crashing through the chain link fence into the bullpen, saving a possible big inning from the Dodgers.

Judge has missed both games since that day and is now on the IL thanks to the outfielder slamming his big toe into the concrete slab at the base of the fence in right field.

Because of it, the Dodgers are now making changes to the fence, including adding a strip of padding to where the concrete is.

“He didn’t go through the door, which is what I thought when I was watching the game,” Dodgers team president Stan Kasten told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. “Then I got out there and realized the door doesn’t open in that direction.

“He actually broke through where some of the panels were joined, the barrier between the two connecting panels. Which is unbelievable. But we’re going to strengthen that and add a strip of padding on the bottom as well.”

After Tuesday's loss, the Yankees placed judge on the IL with a contusion and sprain of the ligament in his toe.