Updates on Judge are optimistic, but vague
TAMPA, Fla. — Twice in the last week, the Yankees have given very optimistic but also very vague updates on Aaron Judge. The Yankees slugger missed all of the shortened spring training because of a confusing injury that turned out to be a partially punctured lung and a broken rib.
Over a month after the season was supposed to have started, even with the extra down time because of the delayed season due to the global coronavirus pandemic, there is no solid idea if Judge will be ready to play.
This is a concerning trend for the 28-year-old, who hasn't played a full healthy season in the big leagues yet. The Yankees are protective of his health issues and Judge is understandably frustrated with the injuries that have keep him out of the lineup — or limited him — over the years.
The beloved face of the Yankees' new generation of stars, Judge would seem like an ideal candidate for an extension. This winter, the Yankees agreed to pay him $8.5 million to avoid arbitration.
But, first, the Yankees understandably would like to see him get through a season healthy. With the weeks of added rest, which come from the terrible national crisis, Judge has a chance to put that history behind him.
The Yankees seem to be giving him every chance to do that.
“It's been very productive to have this time to allow that rib to heal, and that is happening,'' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on the team's YES Network. “As to where he's at exactly, we don't have anything for you on that yet.''
Yankees president Randy Levine seemed just as optimistic — and just as vague.
“He's getting better. He's getting much, much better. Last I looked he was healing really well, but I haven't gotten a report in I would say in about a week, but he's feeling very good,'' Levine said earlier this week on Fox News Radio.
That echos the last we had heard from Judge himself. As he was driving out of the Yankees spring training complex, after having done a rehab session, Judge told us his last exam showed he was healing. He was not specific about how much the broken first right rib had healed, which the Yankees only announced as the issue that had been holding back Judge weeks into spring training and after numerous exams and tests.
He did, however, reveal that part of the issue that had been causing him discomfort was the partially collapsed lung — which had completely healed last month.
In his three previous big league seasons, Judge has never put together two healthy or strong halves.
He ended his 2016 season in mid-September, because of a right oblique strain, which maintained his rookie status for ‘17. He set expectations high in his “rookie” season, hitting .329 with 30 homers in 84 games in the first half of 2017.