Yankees hope Aaron Judge will be ready for play

TAMPA, Fla. — Aaron Judge’s rehab is going as the Yankees expected and they hope to have him on the field if there is an MLB 2020 season at some point, GM Brian Cashman said Thursday morning. Acknowledging the extraordinarily long time it took the team to diagnose the fractured first rib in Judge’s right shoulder area, Cashman said that it’s a tricky injury that takes longer than normal to heal.

“It’s a very unique injury, it’s one that is extremely challenging to diagnose. Something that is very rare,” Cashman said of the rib injury Judge suffered on a diving-catch attempt back in September. “So when it happened, I always felt that we wouldn’t see Judge, more likely until the summertime.”

With baseball shut down for eight weeks now and opening day pushed back indefinitely by the global coronavirus pandemic, Judge has had extra time to heal, according to Cashman who spoke over a Zoom call for the Connecticut-based Family Centers’ Emergency Family Assistance Fund.

“But with the COVID situation, he’s healing.

We’ve had some multiple imaging, that shows the healing and we’ll continue that process that will hopefully continue to show that expected healing moving forward,” Cashman said, deftly not putting a timeline on the return. “Once we resume play we’re excited to believe that he’s going to rejoin us at full capacity.

“Fortunately for him he’s been able to take advantage of this COVID experience, but he wants to play as much as anybody and we look forward to getting him back in the lineup.”

The outfielder has been doing his rehab and field work at the Yankees spring training complex in Tampa in an attempt to be ready if the season reopens. Thursday, the league and the union were continuing to work on laying the groundwork for a shortened season which would attempt to open at the beginning of July.

The Yankees have to be careful with Judge, who has had a tendency to try and push his way through injuries in the past. The 28year-old admitted as much when he said he worked out hard this winter despite the pain that would come and go in his shoulder and pec area. He said he was angered and motivated by losing in the 2019 American League Championship Series to the Astros.

“But Aaron Judge, like most superstar athletes, they’re invincible and they feel like they’ll be back sooner than later. And I think that his pain threshold is just Jeter-like too,” Cashman said. “He never complains. He always pushes through, he never shares that something’s bothering him.

“When he did show up in the spring this season and said something about amount, it was an uh-oh moment because he really does not ever complain about anything and he didn’t complain in the wintertime either,” Cashman continued. “But once the testing came back, once they eventually found it, the time frame looked like it was going to take us more likely in the summer. They did acknowledge that as possible, it can be sooner, but you know the healing areas with these particular injuries, is something that’s going to be more challenging.

“Mind over matter, Aaron Judge, he always felt that he’d be ready still by opening day, when it was the real opening day.”

PAXTON THROWING

Cashman had very good news on left-hander James Paxton, who has started throwing simulated innings in his rehab after his February back surgery.

“He lives in Wisconsin so he’s been arranging on his own continuing his throwing program, his rehab protocols, and he’s emerged into the sim game part of his program,” Cashman said. “He feels great. So, you know we’re fortunate to know that you know one of the better starting pitchers in the game. His issues look like they’ve resolved and it’s just simply now just tuning up and getting ready.”

Cashman also said that Aaron Hicks, who is recovering from October Tommy John surgery, is progressing on schedule.

“He’s practicing dry swings he’s got a throwing program and I think seeing him playing centerfield for the New York Yankees this summer is a legit option, as expected,” Cashman said. “So his time frame is currently going as planned. So, you know, we’re excited to get him back because I think he’s one of the better. center fielder is in the game both offensively and defensively.”