The good news for the New York Yankees is the simple part that everyone already knows: Aaron Judge is in the batting lineup.
But the bad news, a fresh injury update provided by manager Aaron Boone on Tuesday, isn’t great.
Boone, speaking on WFAN, said he doesn’t see Judge returning to the outfield during this week’s series against the Rays.
Further, he’s not sure Judge will throw the same the rest of the year.
“We’re trying to get through where he can let it go with ease and be able to protect himself,” Boone said. “I don’t think we’re going to see him back to throwing like he normally does at any point this year, but that’s OK, too. We’ve got to feel like he can go out there and be able to protect himself and represent himself.”
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Judge went on the injured list late last month with a flexor strain in his right (throwing) elbow.
It probably could’ve been worse, but it’s still a risky injury, because it puts the elbow in danger of further damage if a player is rushed back into the field.
It doesn’t get impacted in the same way by a swing, which is why Judge can keep batting. But that’s why he has only been the DH since he came back.
Judge has played 11 games since returning on Aug. 5. He’s batting .229 in that span with a double, two home runs and six RBI.
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With Judge at DH, the Yankees have given Giancarlo Stanton a few games in right field. That’s not an ideal setup, either, given Stanton’s limited mobility and the fact that he himself missed time early in the season with elbow problems.
But at this point, the Yankees are forced to make it work with what they have. And that means Judge might be in a precarious spot the rest of the season until his elbow can fully heal.
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