Aaron Judge needs to stay healthy if the New York Yankees want to do something special this year. Last season was something that is not easy to forget for the NY side. There was nothing much to be proud of. Moreover, the Bronx Bombers failed to make the postseason. They finished with an awful 82-80 season. Only barely the Pinstripes managed to maintain the streak of winning seasons. Otherwise, it was pretty embarrassing for the whole organization. The front office wanted to make significant changes in the offseason. Moreover, Judge mentioned that the players looked at each other and said, “It can’t happen again.”
But the biggest concern was the Yankees captain’s toe injury. Last season, Aaron Judge hurt his toe as he had a freak accident at the Los Angeles Dodgers fence. Then, the Yankees captain missed more than 35 games on the trot. Recently, ahead of the spring training, Aaron Judge told the press that he might have to deal with that toe injury throughout the rest of his career. That did not sound good at all. Moreover, Judge jokingly mentioned that the manager was thinking about moving him to the center field because he kept getting hurt in the right field. Lately, Aaron Judge picked up a 1B glove again. That raised a few eyebrows.
Is Aaron Judge Thinking About Quitting As An Outfielder?
In January, the Yankees captain was working out at the New York Yankees player development complex. He did that in early February as well. During this period, mostly infielders surrounded the NY side’s captain. Quite frequently, Aaron Judge was finding himself on the field with DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres, Anthony Volpe and a few more. As a result, whenever it was time for the grounders, Judge would pick the first baseman’s mitt. The Yankees captain swiped that from the equipment closet and then went to his position.
Our Captain 🫡 pic.twitter.com/r5iDADDiYN
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) February 19, 2024
According to The Athletic, Aaron Judge later smiled about it, saying, “Somebody had to go over there.” Travis Chapman, the first-base coach and the infield instructor, would work with the Bomber’s captain at first base. Moreover, Aaron Judge mentioned he felt great revisiting that infield position for the first time since his freshman days at Fresno State. He added that he learned quite a bit of nuances that he did not need to consider as an outfielder. However, Judge clearly mentioned that he plans to be an outfielder as long as his contract lasts.
The Yankees Captain Plans To Stick To The Outfield
Sometimes, the job of an outfielder can get a bit monotonous, taking fly balls. That’s why Aaron Judge enjoyed learning the nuances of being an infielder. He mentioned that he liked how an infielder takes angles toward grounders and then screams at him instead of trying to keep the ball in front of him.
Moreover, they just let it possibly thud into his body as a hockey goalie. However, he plans to stay an outfielder as long as the team needs him to. If the team needs him to move to the center field or left field, he would be happy to. Moreover, Aaron Judge mentioned he always wants to stay ready to help the team win.
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