New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that outfielder Aaron Judge will not need surgery to address the toe injury he suffered by crashing through the bullpen wall at Dodger Stadium, according to Talkin' Yanks.

The Yankees' season took a downturn after Aaron Judge injured his toe in that game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The offense struggled mightily with him out of the lineup, and the Yankees fell out of a playoff spot. Judge returned late in July, just before the trade deadline, but is still playing through some pain. Now, the Yankees are 5.5 games out of a playoff spot.

There was a prevailing thought among many that Judge would need surgery in the offseason, and it is good news that it looks like he is avoiding that. Although the first instinct for many was that he should just get surgery, his toe might never be the same if he does get a procedure done. Letting it naturally heal, if possible, is the best course of action. Based on Aaron Boone's words, it appears that Judge is avoiding surgery.

The Yankees are clinging to a long shot chance of making a playoff spot, and they have to start winning immediately. It will not get any easier, as they have two games against the Atlanta Braves, who beat the Yankees 11-3 in their first game of the series.

In all likelihood, the Yankees will miss the playoffs this season. However, with Judge and Gerrit Cole locked into big contracts and in their prime years, the expectation will be for the Yankees to compete next season. Judge avoiding surgery would be good news going into the 2024 season.