Apr 28, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) sits in the dugout during during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: New York Yankees at Texas Rangers
(New York, NY) — Is the captain finally nearing a return?
Aaron Judge has been sidelined since June 4th when he crashed into an outfield gate during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers injuring his toe, but a return seems imminent.
The outfielder has been making steady progress, including his first taste of baseball activity last week in Oakland.
Appearing on the “The Today Show” on Monday, Judge provided fans with a possible timeline for his return.
“Hopefully soon. We got the All-Star break coming up here, hopefully that will buy me a couple days.”
Judge was recently named to the fifth All-Star selection of his career.
Prior to the injury the reigning AL MVP was in the midst of another great season batting .291 with a 1.078 OPS, 19 home runs, and 40 RBI across 49 games.
“Just trying to stay locked in and help a teammate, pick a teammate up,” Judge said his contributions to the team off the field. “If I see someone struggling in the game, try to give them a little bit of working encouragement. Trying to find little moments to just make an impact on the game even when you’re not playing.”
The Yankees have remained committed to a cautious approach with their superstar.
“It’s a unique injury,’’ GM Brian Cashman said on June 20th. “We don’t want this thing coming back on us. We need to be really careful. He’s a real devoted athlete and wants to be out there fighting for his team.”
The Bombers open a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles on Monday at Yankee stadium.
