The New York Yankees captain, Aaron Judge, took another step toward returning to the outfield on Sunday, throwing from right field to bases for the first time since suffering a right flexor strain in late July.
Judge, who described the session as “checking a box,” per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, continues to progress through his throwing program, though there's no official timeline for his return to the outfield.
Judge had not seen any action until August 5, when he returned to the lineup as designated hitter. Since then, he has built up his throwing distance to about 150 feet during long-toss sessions but had not attempted throws to infielders until Sunday at Yankee Stadium. He admitted the work wasn’t at 100% intensity but demonstrated important progress.
“I think that's the name of the game right now, is just making sure I can, we can kind of push the volume, push the level of it, and also make sure that I'm recovered enough to go out there and keep pushing the next day,” Judge said. “So our training staff does a great job with that, so they're helping me try to get out there as fast as I can because I think they all know I want to be back out there.”
Judge compared the soreness he feels after throwing to the lingering discomfort runners often have after a pulled hamstring. He said he is undergoing “quite a bit” of treatment while relying on the Yankees’ medical staff for guidance. The inability to play defense has been especially difficult, with Judge describing it as “brutal”.
Manager Aaron Boone agreed that the Yankees must be deliberate.
“The bottom line is we want to do this the right way,” Boone said, before Sunday’s series finale against the Boston Red Sox. “As much as he wants to be out there and we want him out there, we want to make sure we put ourselves in the best position to not reinjure this.”
Boone also acknowledged that when Judge does return, playing time in right field could be shared with Giancarlo Stanton, depending on health.
Since coming off the injured list, Judge hasn't been at his best at the plate. In 16 games, he is hitting .218/.386/.418 with three home runs and seven RBIs, far below the .342/.449/.711 line with 37 home runs and 85 RBIs, he posted in 103 games before the injury. Judge has maintained that the strain only affects his throwing, not his swing.
Meanwhile, Stanton has been forced into regular outfield duty for the first time in nearly two years to keep both bats in the lineup. Though limited defensively by recurring leg issues, Stanton has been one of the league’s hottest hitters since early July, batting .317 with 16 home runs and a 1.134 OPS over 38 games.
With that being said, Judge remains eager for a full return.
“I’m a ballplayer,” he said. “I want to play both sides of the ball and go out there, making plays on defense, helping my team out. I know hitting’s important and all that, but I feel like I can impact this team on both sides, so I can’t wait to get back out there.”
For now, Judge will continue at designated hitter as the Yankees carefully monitor his recovery. His latest workout was the clearest sign yet that he is moving closer to resuming his role in right field, but the timing remains uncertain.
