If the New York Yankees had started the regular season on time, they would’ve been without multiple star players, including Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, and James Paxton. That encompasses their entire starting outfield and one significant pitcher. It is also fair to mention that Luis Severino will miss the entire 2020 campaign, so the Yankees were down two influential pitchers before spring training even begun.
The New York Yankees have some positive injury news:
Stanton, who has been dealing with calf injuries since 2019, would have returned early on if the season had been 162 games. He is a near certainty to be a part of New York’s opener, according to Erik Boland of Newsday.
Judge, on the other hand, suffered a stress fracture on a rib on a diving catch last September, and it took several months for team doctors to unearth the discomfort that has been plaguing him.
The Yankee slugger has recently begun hitting off a tee, which attests to his progression through the rehabilitation program the Yankees developed for him. Judge played in only 102 games last season, showing a steady decrease in live action over the past three seasons. Over 378 at-bats, he posted 27 homers, 55 RBIs, and a .272 batting average.
The Bombers desperately need him to remain healthy for a shortened 60-game season, as his defensive abilities and offensive prowess will be a significant factor in the team’s overall success. While there will be an asterisk over the 2020 campaign, nonetheless, winning the World Series this year would end a decade long drought for the Yankees.
Hopefully, the addition of Eric Cressey as the Yankees’ strength and conditioning coach will begin to eliminate the injury bug that has plagued the team over the past two seasons. Soft tissue injuries have been a major issue, especially for players like Stanton. The number of Tommy John surgery that I’ve been conducted over the past year has been astronomical, and Cressey has the pedigree to reduce that number.
A consistently healthy Judge would be transformative for the roster and outfield. If he can begin taking live-reps, he could be on pace to start the regular season, which is projected to launch in late July. Spring training 2.0 will start in the coming days, giving him time and an excellent opportunity to feature in an exhibition game before the regular season comes around.