Slumping Judge: My body is 'beat up'

Aaron Judge’s beaten-down body — in particular his left shoulder — might be contributing to his massive slump. In the least, it’s not helping the rookie as he tries to find his first-half stroke.

Before Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Indians, in which Judge started the second game, he said there have been discussions with the Yankees about his receiving a cortisone shot in his left shoulder. He admitted his whole body “is just kind of beat up.”

“You got to make adjustments and fight through that,” he said as he finished a two-day mental break, striking out as a pinch hitter to end a 2-1 loss in the opener of the twin bill and going 1-for-3 with an infield single and a walk in the nightcap.

The rest came as Judge has continued to struggle. He has posted an anemic .186/.346/ .337 slash line with a .683 OPS this month and has hit just seven home runs since the All-Star break after bashing 30 in the first half. After being arguably the best player in baseball prior to the All-Star Game, producing a 1.139 OPS and winning the Home Run Derby with an epic display of power, he has looked lost at the plate. He has notched a .692 OPS since the showcase with 67 strikeouts in 187 plate appearances.

Asked specifically about the shoulder, Judge said it’s been a cumulative effect, not any one specific play when he hurt it. He wouldn’t reveal much about the talks he’s had with the team about a possible corti- sone shot. “There’s been discussions,” he said. Manager Joe Girardi, like Judge, downplayed the shoulder issues.

“He feels pretty good about it, so I feel pretty good about it,” the manager said. “The couple days off probably could help that as much as the rest of his body.” In the opener, Judge pinch hit representing the tying run against Indians closer Cody Allen, but struck out feebly after getting ahead 3-1. In the second game, batting cleanup and starting in right field, he looked more comfortable at the plate, striking out just once in four plate appearances, walking and singling.

“Like I’ve talked about all year, if I’m swinging at the right pitches, taking my walks, I feel like I’m in a good place to hit,” Judge said after the doubleheader sweep by the Indians. “I have to build off that and take it into tomorrow.”

He dismissed the idea the two days off were a mental break. It’s not as if he was lounging around his apartment. He does believe it can help him physically. But it was strange, just resting, not even swinging a bat.

“I haven’t done that all year,” Judge said. “I’ve been going stir crazy. My routine has been missed up. So it’s been kind of weird for me.

“Refresh the body, that’s been the biggest thing. Get a little refresher here for the last push. We got some important games coming up.”