Aaron Judge stepped onto the field for batting practice this past Friday, the first time he’s done that since May 31. That’s a huge step forward for the reigning American League MVP who’s been sidelined with a stress fracture in his right rib, and it signals a potential return with the Yankees staring down just 21 games left on their regular-season schedule.
Judge Is “Checking All The Boxes,” But the Real Drama Is Just Starting
It’s not like Judge has been sitting around doing nothing this whole time. He’s been hitting off high-velocity pitching machines indoors since he got the green light to restart baseball activities. According to Judge himself, he’s “checking all the boxes. That’s all it is at this point.” Beyond just hitting, he was out there running the bases and working in the outfield at Petco Park before Friday’s game against the Padres. Yankees manager Aaron Boone even said he expects Judge to be in “full” baseball activities this coming week. Judge backed that up, saying, “We’re hitting all the baseball stuff. Throwing to bases, throwing, running the bases. Hitting, getting on the field, moving around. I think [we need to] face some live pitching and then I’ll get back out there.” It sounds like a plan, right? Well, not exactly.
Boone Wants Live Pitching, Judge Wants Straight Into the Lineup
This is where things get interesting, and frankly, a little tense. Manager Boone believes Judge needs to face live pitching before he’s activated. It’s even possible Boone could have Judge back during the Yankees’ six-game homestand kicking off September 8th, which includes that matchup against the Mets on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. But here’s the rub: Boone probably wants Judge to face that live pitching on a minor-league rehab assignment. Judge? He’s not having it. He’d rather jump straight back into the major league lineup. “I don’t see a point,” Judge told reporters. “Why waste at-bats? They haven’t told me they wanted me to do one, so we’ll see.” Talk about a player knowing what he wants, even if it means a slight disagreement with the skipper.
The Yankees’ Offense Is in a Hole Without Judge’s Power
Before Judge hit the injured list, he was absolutely mashing. He posted a .248/.375/.533 slash line, with 17 home runs and 38 RBI in just 59 games. That’s serious production, and the Yankees’ offense has clearly felt his absence. Before his injury, the team was fourth in MLB with 305 runs scored. Since then, they’ve only managed 332 runs. Their total of 637 runs now puts them all the way down at 18th in MLB. Even worse, their .234 team batting average is the third-worst in the American League, and their .720 OPS ranks 15th in the majors. They desperately need his bat back.
With only 21 games left and a critical homestand starting September 8th, the big question remains: will Judge and Boone get on the same page about live pitching? Because how they handle this next step could make or break the Yankees’ season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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