Top slugger Aaron Judge kicked off his captaincy tenure with the New York Yankees on a nightmarish note. In his very first season of the mega nine-year $360 million contract, the Bronx Bombers got eliminated from the playoff race. Certainly, it wasn’t something Judge dreamt of in his wildest dreams. But it is what it is.
Even on a personal note, the year has remained difficult and challenging for Aaron Judge. He encountered multiple injury setbacks, primarily a toe ligament injury, which resulted in a two-month-long absence. The injury seemed so unusual that the medical staff mulled an off-season surgery. However, it seems the captain is set to dodge the bullet this time around.
Aaron Judge Unlikely To Opt For Off-Season Toe Surgery, Confirms Yankees Skipper!
As the New York Yankees stumbled into its playoff campaign, an injured Aaron Judge returned to boost the offensive production. He took the risk of playing through an unhealed toe, which fortunately didn’t backfire. In fact, Judge has witnessed positive improvement since then. In a couple of weeks, the slugger was running on the bases without restrictions and also took charge of his natural right-field position. Nobody could tell that the captain was injured by looking at his demeanor. Regardless, the threat of an off-season surgery loomed over his shoulders. Judge earlier confirmed that he was advised to go under the knife. But he chose to postpone the possibility till the off-season.
Now that the off-season is approaching, the fans remain curious about Aaron Judge’s future course of action. Meanwhile, Aaron Boone, the Yankees skipper, addressed the issue and confirmed that Judge will not require an off-season toe surgery. He has made excellent progress since coming back, which is an encouraging sign. Boone lowkey always believed that Judge would dodge the surgical route, considering his steady improvement. Moreover, as the Yanks had hoped, the slugger went on to improve as time passed. This is a major confidence booster for the Bombers, as they need Aaron Judge to be 100% healthy in time for the 2024 season. The ship cannot sail without its captain, which is exactly the case with the Yanks. They cannot unlock their full potential without their captain.
Why Was Judge Absent From Yankees Lineup Vs. Blue Jays?
In a surprising turn of events, Aaron Judge gave the series opener against Toronto Blue Jays a miss on Tuesday. As speculations over his health status gained momentum, the Yankees skipper broke his silence. He said that it was just an off-day, which was long due. Judge has been kind of playing on a regular basis for the longest time.
“Coming off a long, wet series and a lot of hours at the yard. I just felt like the first day here with the turf, I felt like today was the day,” said Aaron Boone. Having said that, the Yankees captain is expected to return for the second game vs. the Blue Jays on Wednesday. Aaron Judge has refused to be shut down for the season and intends to take the field for the final five games of the regular season schedule.