The likelihood is growing that the New York Yankees will have to manage without their superstar hitter, Aaron Judge, for a few weeks at least.
The 31-year-old had been delivering MVP-worthy performances before spraining his right big toe in a collision with the right field wall at Dodgers Stadium. Batting .291 with a .404 OBP, including 19 home runs and 40 RBIs, his absence will undoubtedly be felt in the lineup.
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The Yankees simply don’t know how long Aaron Judge will be out:
Toe injuries can be unpredictable, as evidenced last year by DJ LeMahieu, who was ultimately sidelined for the remainder of the 2022 season.
The nature of the injuries between LeMahieu and Judge differs, so we should expect to see the team’s premier player return sooner. However, it may require a significant amount of time for the swelling and inflammation to subside, enabling him to commence rehabilitation.
“There’s a couple things going on in there. They don’t want to say a timetable then it’s a couple of weeks longer or a couple of weeks less.”
For the moment, it’s a waiting game for Judge and the coaching staff, who are genuinely uncertain about the duration of their last year’s MVP’s absence.
“We’re just kind of waiting on a lot of the inflammation and swelling to go down.”
Judge has been in considerable pain, choosing to forgo a walking boot at his discretion. Meanwhile, the Yankees will likely experiment with various configurations at the top of the batting order, employing Giancarlo Stanton on Tuesday in the second spot and moving Gleyber Torres up to lead off Thursday’s doubleheader.
The Yankees won’t have a timetable for Aaron Judge’s return until after the weekend, Aaron Boone said. Boone said Judge is “pretty sore” after receiving an injection in his toe.
Per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
Right now, the Yankees need to rally and boost their offensive output in the absence of their captain. Without him, they are a pale imitation of their full strength and are in dire need of their high-earning players stepping up to compensate for the lost production.