Aaron Judge finally played catch on Friday, a routine baseball activity that became a massive deal for the New York Yankees and their struggling offense. He hadn’t been able to do any baseball things since early June when he got hit with a stress fracture in his ribs.
A Glimmer of Hope in a Rough Stretch
This isn’t just a guy throwing a ball around, you know? It’s the first time Judge has even been able to since his diagnosis. Just a month ago, an imaging exam showed some healing but not enough for him to get back to baseball activities. But on Friday, he not only played catch, he also ran for the first time in months. Yankees manager Aaron Boone isn’t ready to shout from the rooftops about his captain’s return, but he’s staying optimistic. “We expect him back, but we’re in the early stages of baseball activities, so hopefully things continue to go well,” Boone told MLB.com. “He hasn’t done any baseball things in a while, so there’s a lot more to do.” It’s a small step, but for a team desperate for a spark, it feels huge.
The Judge-Sized Hole in the Lineup
The numbers don’t lie, and boy, do they tell a story about the Yankees without Judge. Before he went on the IL, the team was fourth in MLB with 305 runs scored. Since he’s been sidelined, that offense has sputtered, scoring only 241 runs. That’s a brutal 241-run drop, leading to a total of 547 runs, which ranks them 15th in the entire league. Their .230 team batting average is the second-worst in the AL, and their .716 OPS is tied for 16th. Without their MVP, the Yankees have gone a lukewarm 32-31, sliding from just 1.5 games behind the Rays in the AL East to a whopping seven games back after Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Blue Jays. Yikes.
More Good News on the Injury Front
Judge wasn’t the only one making progress though. Giancarlo Stanton, who’s been out with a calf injury, also ran the bases and took some swings at the plate. And Cody Bellinger, dealing with a strained hamstring, was out there running sprints in the outfield. According to The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, Bellinger might even start a minor-league rehab assignment next week if he feels good. With 39 games and six weeks left in the regular season, the Yankees need all the help they can get to keep that eight-game lead for the top wild-card playoff spot.
So, Judge is throwing, Stanton is running, Bellinger is sprinting. It’s not a full return, not by a long shot, but it’s progress. The Yankees are clinging to that wild-card spot, and getting even one of these guys back, especially Judge, could make all the difference in the final stretch. Can they piece it together? We’ll be watching every pitch.
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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