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The New York Yankees have been suffering through a brutal stretch that has seen them go 14-23 since June 13. But, it does not seem as though they will have to make a drastic choice about their captain’s future position in the field.
All-Star Aaron Judge was recently diagnosed with a flexor strain in his right elbow, and placed on the 10-day injured list. According to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, the Yankees do not intend on having the reigning MVP play first base once he rejoins the club.
“FWIW, the Yankees aren’t considering having Aaron Judge play first base at all when he returns from the injured list,” Castillo tweeted. “That’s a tough transition midseason. It’ll be DH until he’s given the green light to throw from the outfield.”
Judge’s ailment has not impacted his ability to swing the bat, but has made throwing the ball a challenging endeavor. While the 33-year-old tried to play through the irritation, it became apparent that he was not able to throw comfortably from the outfield.
“I wasn’t able to throw the last couple of days. I wanted to take the off-day and see how it went,” Judge told MLB,com. “I was pretty adamant about playing [Friday]. It just came down to a point where if I need to make a play for the team, I’m going to do it. I got [the elbow] checked out, got the news, and we go from there.”
New York is hoping that Judge will initially return as a designated hitter after a brief stint on the injured list. Across 103 games, he has hit 37 home runs, collected 85 RBIs, and earned a 1.160 OPS. His presence in the lineup has consistently pressured opposing pitchers, and will be hard to make up for while he is out.
The Yankees are currently 6.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East, and will need the seven-time All-Star if they have designs on making a legitimate Postseason push.
