The New York Yankees have missed the services of their captain, Aaron Judge, for close to three weeks now. In his absence, the struggling offense took a further hit, and the team kept tumbling on the American League East Division table. Nonetheless, after a prolonged delay, some piece of good news and hope is finally coming the Yankees’ way this week.
Aaron Judge has been one of the most trusted war horses of the Yankees over the past years. Especially after last season, wherein the slugger scaled new heights of his career, the expectation remains sky high. Judge, who stays well versed in his responsibilities, displayed promising signs as he hit six homers in 26 outings along with 14 RBIs. Hence, when he met with an unfortunate injury, the Yankees found themselves in a fix.
Aaron Judge Likely To Be Reinstated From IL This Week
The New York Yankees faced a severe setback a few weeks ago when their lead slugger, Aaron Judge, suffered an injury scare. An awkward dive on the base led to some discomfort in the slugger’s right hip. When the pain did not subside, the Yankees pulled him out of the next game midway and sent him for an MRI scan. The scan results showed a mild strain on the hip, and the team immediately put Judge on a 10-day IL, despite the slugger’s resistance. The Bombers, who have a pile of injuries to deal with, certainly were not willing to risk the team’s captain.
Over the few weeks, Aaron Judge has made excellent progress. He never stopped playing catch and began some batting practice over the following days. Now as the 10-day stint nears its end, the Yankees skipper, Aaron Boone, confirmed that they expect Judge to be ready for the game on Tuesday against the Oakland Athletics. The team would conduct a final assessment somewhere around Monday, and if all things go well, the slugger could likely get reinstated on Tuesday. Certainly, his return to the lineup will provide a much-needed boost to a team that has struggled to score runs in his absence.
Yankees Manager Defends His Decision To Put Judge On IL Despite The Slugger’s Resistance
After the mighty injury scare, Aaron Judge, the man in question, said he would most likely avoid an IL stint since he isn’t feeling that bad physically. However, to much surprise, the Yankees decided to go ahead with a 10-day IL stint for the captain. Judge himself looked baffled by the decision and did not stand in favor of it. However, the slugger stayed firm that he would not protest the management’s final call. After a massive uproar and debate, the Yankees skipper finally addressed the issue and defended his decision.
Aaron Boone said he did not want Aaron Judge to return in 85-90% health just for the sake of playing a couple of the games. The Yankees are looking at the long game here. The season is months long, and they want their lead slugger to stay healthy for the longest time possible. Hence, the team chose to let the captain skip a few games now to secure the latter half of the season.