PAIN & SUFFERING
After admitting Judge return in limbo, Yanks go down meekly against Rays
Aaron Judge worked up a full sweat Wednesday afternoon in The Bronx, running the bases and taking fly balls in right field. But his bat remained untouched.
The Yankees outfielder is in a holding pattern, still not swinging because of a lingering pain from a fractured bone in his right wrist, and his rehab process is taking longer than the club originally believed it would.
“It’s what we expected and healing properly. Just probably going a tick slower than we had hoped is all,” manager Aaron Boone before the Yankees’ 6-1 loss the Rays Wednesday. “But no, it’s moving in the right direction.”
The night Judge was hit by a pitch that caused the injury, the Yankees estimated a threeweek time period before he could swing a bat in a game situation. Thursday marks three weeks exactly and Judge has still not picked up a bat at all.
“Nothing yet,” Judge told The Post after his on-field workout. “It was good to run the bases and do some outfield stuff and hopefully start swinging a bat here pretty soon.”
Judge also made some light throws to a bucket near him in the outfield, but he said it wasn’t full effort because that’s one of the motions that causes pain.
“I haven’t really done any motions of trying to extend it out because that’s the motion that gets me — when I full extend like that, it kind of bothers my wrist,” Judge said, motioning a follow-through with his wrist on a throw. “Just a sharp pain whenever I flex the wrist like that.”
General manager Brian Cashman said on WFAN Wednesday that Judge recently underwent another MRI, which confirmed there was nothing new or nothing they missed with the original diagnosis. Judge received a cortisone shot to relieve the pain, but Cashman, who conceded the three-week timetable was optimistic, said he is not concerned about it being a season-ending injury.
“I’ve certainly peeled the onion on that question, and rightfully so, not just because of who he is and what he means to the club,” said Cashman, adding that he expects Judge to be back in time to play rehab games in the minor league season, which ends Sept. 3.
“I doubt he hits the ground running. I’m sure at times with a check swing here or there, he might have a little bit of an issue to deal with, back off and give him a little more time. But we’re going to be approaching enough of a time frame where he’ll be back on track health-wise well in time for the meaningful games in the future.”
Boone said after the game that Judge took swings underwater in the pool Wednesday and “it went well.”
“Today was a big step forward for him,” said Boone, who sounded more optimistic than Cashman did earlier in the day.
Wednesday marked the 19th game Judge missed since Jake Junis’ 93 mph fastball sailed up and in to drill him on the right wrist. The Yankees entered the day 10-8 without him, and while they did not add an outfield bat before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, they could still make a waiver move before the Aug. 31 deadline.