Aaron Judge played catch on Wednesday ahead of the New York Yankees-Oakland Athletics game. This is significant because Judge is finally beginning baseball activities for the first time since suffering his injury, per Max Goodman.

The Yankees have struggled without Judge in the lineup. He's the heart and soul of the team and it's shown amid his absence. New York currently trails the Tampa Bay Rays by 9.5 games in the American League East. In the end, the Yankees still expect to compete and make a playoff run. However, someone else must step up with Judge continuing to battle back from his toe injury.

Yankees without Aaron Judge

Judge suffered his injury against the Los Angeles Dodgers in early June. New York won their series versus the Dodgers, but ultimately lost Judge who hasn't played since. Overall, the Yankees have earned just seven victories since the Dodgers series, losing 11 games during that span.

The Yankees are typically known for their steady offensive prowess. In 2023, though, that hasn't been the case. They enter Wednesday's game versus Oakland ranked 28th in batting average, 28th in OBP, and 20th in runs scored. For reference, the 21-60 A's are 30th in batting average and 26th in OBP.

New York's pitching has kept them afloat but even their rotation is dealing with uncertainty. The Yankees' MLB trade deadline moves will go a long way in determining how they fare in the second half of the year.

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When will Aaron Judge return?

Judge doesn't currently have a strict timeline. He has a torn ligament in his toe and Aaron Boone didn't rule out the possibility of Judge missing the entire campaign. Although that seems unlikely, the fact is that nobody seems to know exactly when the Yankees will get their superstar back.

New York cannot afford to sit back and hope that Judge returns as soon as possible. They need their players to pick up the slack and find some consistency. Otherwise, the 2023 campaign will end in disappointment.

That said, we will continue to monitor and provide updates on Aaron Judge and the Yankees as they are readily made available.