New York Yankees offensive pillars Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo have not been able to contribute as per expectations this season. While Judge missed an awful lot of time on IL due to injury setbacks, Rizzo suffered from something he figured out months later. Both individuals were expected to be Yank’s core strength this season. But it seems it wasn’t meant to be.
Meanwhile, as the Yankees embark on a final playoff push, questions over the health of Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo are being raised. While Rizzo is currently on IL due to post-concussion syndrome, Judge is playing field half-healthy. Amid speculations over their progress, manager Aaron Boone has come forward with some updates.
Anthony Rizzo Not Ruled Out Of The Season Just Yet, Confirms Aaron Boone
New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo landed on IL for an injury sustained two months ago. He developed concussion symptoms several weeks after a head collision with a Padres hitter. The abnormal failure on the plate raised alarm bells as Rizzo decided to go through a fresh round of testing. The results diagnosed him with “post-concussion syndrome.” Subsequently, the baseman landed on IL without an injury timeline. Meanwhile, recently, Rizzo was spotted at batting practice and stepped on the plate for the first time since concussion diagnosis. He claimed to have been feeling a lot better since the day of the diagnosis. On the other hand, manager Aaron Boone, in a recent podcast, shed light on Rizzo’s current status and future plans.
Aaron Boone appeared for his weekly podcast with Talkin Yanks. During the episode, hosts quizzed Boone about Anthony Rizzo’s future in the season. The skipper replied, saying that the baseman had not been shut down for the moment. He has resumed baseball activities and progressed well over the last few days. Jomboy interrupted Boone and suggested that with the playoff slipping out of the picture, maybe the team should consider taking his rehab easy. To this, Boone responded that irrespective of the playoff scenario, the Yanks would not rush Rizzo’s recovery. At any day they feel that he seems compromised, the Bomber’s management will pull the plug. Under no circumstances will the club rush the baseman’s recovery.
Yankees Manager Feels Aaron Judge Has Progressed Well Since Comeback
Meanwhile, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge is also actively facing a health scare. He is currently compromised, as he has been playing with an injured toe since his return. Further updating on his progress from the comeback date till now, Yanks manager Aaron Boone affirmed positive growth. He said that since returning against Baltimore in late July, Judge had noticed a reasonable difference.
He has progressed well and continues to heal with each passing day. Earlier, Aaron Boone claimed that Aaron Judge might just avoid off-season surgery. If he continues to heal at this pace, the captain might also regain 100% fitness towards the end of the regular season. Having said that, irrespective of the injury status, Judge is performing well on the plate. He recently hit back-to-back homers against the Red Sox and has maintained a 1.009 OPS in just 71 games.