The New York Yankees received some welcoming news regarding veteran slugging outfielder Aaron Judge.
At a time when the Yankees have been scuffling by going 5-5 in their last 10 games, this squad who all season has had bad luck with injuries finally received some good news when it was announced that Judge, who has been out of action with a flexor strain in his right elbow, will be back sometime early next week in a series against the Texas Rangers.
In a welcoming sight for Yankee management and fans alike on Friday night at Loan Depot Park, Judge was mashing the ball in batting practice prior to the Yankees’ game in Miami against the Marlins.
On the most recent Yankees homestand, Judge was seen participating in some low-intensity fielding drills, so obviously, the two-time MVP is getting close.
The team’s plans for Judge are to travel on Sunday to Tampa, Florida, and get his timing down by taking some at-bats at the team’s player development complex.
Yankees Aaron Judge Set to Come Off Injured List
Aaron Judge Injured vs. Blue Jays
Back on July 22nd during a 5-4 Yankees win at Rogers Centre against their divisional rivals Toronto Blue Jays, New York fans received a monumental scare when in the sixth inning of play Judge could be seen in the outfield with a painful expression on his face after gunning the ball from the outfield in an attempt to nail Jays outfielder Davis Schneider at the plate. Showing his high pain tolerance, Judge refused to be taken out of the game and, in fact, played a couple of more before eventually, on July 26th, being put on the 10-day injured list with a right flexor strain.
“It was kind of do or die,” Judge said about the play. “Keep the one-run lead, or it’s a tie game in Toronto. You have to make a play. I felt the pain there. You have to gut it out. It’s a big game. It’s our divisional rival.”
It was made official that when Judge comes off the 10-day injured list, he will serve as the team’s designated hitter and he will not play the field,” Boone said.
“No acute injury to the UCL. Overall, that’s good news.” “With those first few days coming off the IL, it’s probably DH mode. Then he’ll start throwing…and, hopefully, get back to the outfield shortly thereafter.”
Judge Was Looking to Avoid the Injured List
According to reports, Judge did not want to go on the injured reserve list. Due to the fact that he could swing the bat pain-free, he requested that he become the team’s DH, but that plan was quickly shut down by the Yankees. Reflecting on having to sit out, Judge was his usual optimistic self when talking about his team picking up the slack.
“Guys are going to step up. That’s what it comes down to,” Judge said. “The last couple of years, we had guys get banged up, hurt. I always go back to that 2019 team where I feel everybody got banged up. We had so many guys step up and play bigger roles. It’s what they sign up for coming into the season.
Judge Having An MVP Caliber Season
Despite the Yankees having an inconsistent season and sitting four games behind Toronto in the AL East Division, it’s been another MVP season for Judge. Currently, the 33-year-old leads all of baseball with a .342 batting average and sits second in the American League with 38 home runs and 129 hits. Judge also ranks third in the American League with 85 RBI’s, so it’s pretty obvious that a healthy Judge is necessary for the Yankees to go on a long October run.
Yankees Could Be Taking a Chance Activating Judge
A sports injury expert named Will Carroll recently, on a podcast called Foul Territory, expressed that with an injury such as a flexor strain, which Judge suffered from, hitting can also be a big risk.
According to Carroll, “This is worse than the UCL tear. Without this, (Judge) cannot play. … This doesn’t heal quickly. This small little tendon, which overlaps with the UCL, often takes a month or even more to heal up. … For Judge, this is bad. For the Yankees, this is bad.
Obviously, not what Yankee fans and management alike want to hear. Only time will tell how Judge will do upon his comeback from injury.
Main Image: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
