New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge has made it clear how he wants to return to the club, and now the team must decide whether to grant it.
Judge is hoping to skip a rehab assignment entirely as he continues working his way back from a rib fracture, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. The 34-year-old said he has been feeling good and pain-free, though he has yet to face live pitching at game speed.
The three-time American League MVP and the reigning AL batting champion is a seven-time All-Star who set the league’s single-season home run record with 62 in 2022. His absence has left New York without its most productive hitter for most of the season.
Judge has been vocal in the past about how he wants to handle coming back from injuries, prioritizing what is right for the team and what gives them the best chance at winning.
The dilemma here is that skipping rehab would get him back into the Yankees’ lineup faster, but it would also mean his first live at-bats since the injury would come in games that count. Then Yankees management will have to weigh the appeal of a faster return against the risk of easing him in too quickly.
Judge stated that once he does get back, he’ll be playing cautiously in the outfield to reduce the chances of injury. Manager Aaron Boone said that he doesn’t expect Judge to make any extra effort by diving for balls in play.
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The caution tracks with how the Yankees have managed Judge through past injuries, often prioritizing his bat over his glove early on. For now, the call on his path back, rehab assignment or not, belongs to New York.
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