Aaron Judge gets struck in the face by a toss from Yankees teammate Anthony Volpe

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees star Aaron Judge was struck in the face by a toss from teammate Anthony Volpe as they were coming off the field after the fifth inning of Saturday's 12-6 loss to the New York Mets.

Judge came to bat in the sixth with a small bandage that was still affixed near his right eye after the game. He had a mark right around the eye but said he was fine.

Mark Vientos lined out to Yankees second baseman Oswald Peraza to end the fifth at Citi Field, and New York players began tossing the ball around as they trotted toward the dugout as many major league teams do at the conclusion of an inning.

The ball went to Volpe, and the shortstop made a high, arcing throw in Judge's direction as the slugger jogged in from right field. Judge, however, appeared to be looking the other way as he approached the infield and the ball hit him on the side of the face, knocking off his sunglasses.

“Yeah, I mean, confusion. I didn't know what happened initially. I just saw kind of a, what felt like something happened,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “So yeah, of course I was concerned. Had a little cut. In the end I don't think anything too serious, obviously. But yeah, initially, obviously very concerned.”

The sloppy Yankees were handed their sixth consecutive defeat, matching a season worst.

“It’s been a terrible week,” Boone said.

New York also dropped six straight from June 13-18, marking the first time since 2000 the club has endured two six-game losing streaks in one year.

“Just got to play better. That's what it comes down to. Just fundamentals. Making the routine play routine,” said Judge, the Yankees' captain. “It's just the little things. That's what it kind of comes down to — but every good team goes through a couple bumps in the road.

“We'll clean some things up. We know what we need to do. We'll take care of business.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge drops his bat after hitting a single during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, July 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge bats during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, July 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, left, is out at first base during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, July 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge leaves the field after not scoring in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, July 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Victor Wembanyama returned from a 12-game absence with 22 points and nine rebounds, giving San Antonio a surge and the Oklahoma City Thunder just its second loss with the 111-109 victory Saturday night putting the Spurs in the NBA Cup final.

The Spurs play the New York Knicks in Tuesday night's final.

Oklahoma City's last defeat was Nov. 5 at Portland, and the Thunder carried a 16-game winning streak into this game. They now are 24-2, the second-best start behind only the 25-1 record by Golden State in 2015-16.

This is the Thunder's second loss in a row in Las Vegas. They also lost last year’s final to Milwaukee 97-81.

Wembanyama, who received “M-V-P” chants from the pro-Spurs crowd, had a plus-21 rating in 21 minutes. Teammate Devin Vassell scored 23 points and De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle each scored 22.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 29 points, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams each totaled 17.

Wembanyama had been out because of a strained left calf, though the Spurs went 9-3 in his absence. He was placed on a minutes restriction against the Thunder, but that didn't limit his impact.

Wembanyama, who entered the game averaging 26.2 points and 12.9 rebounds, gave the Spurs an immediate boost and sent a surge into the crowd. Fans began to roar when he removed his sweatpants before the second quarter, and Wembanyama had a plus-20 rating in just seven minutes even with his team trailing by three points at halftime.

But San Antonio ended the first half with a 13-point run to make it a contest. The Spurs used a 10-point run in the third quarter to go up 62-56 and set the stage for a tense fourth period.

Spurs: Play the Knicks on Tuesday night in the NBA Cup final.

Thunder: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts to scoring in the second half of an NBA Cup semifinals basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, center, tangles with San Antonio Spurs' Keldon Johnson (3) and Stephon Castle (5) under the net in the first half of an NBA Cup semifinals basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) jumps up for a shot near San Antonio Spurs' Harrison Barnes (40) and Luke Kornet (7) in the first half of an NBA Cup semifinals basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) jumps to the basket near San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) during the first half of an NBA Cup semifinals basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) sets to play the ball in the first half of an NBA Cup semifinals basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)