The New York Yankees really miss Aaron Judge. Not since June 3 has the superstar outfielder taken the field, leading the team to skid down to last place in the AL East. A toe injury that may not fully heal before he returns has limited the reigning AL MVP but he is hopeful that he can return soon.

Judge is still a ways away from playing, though he has started taking some batting practice, a sign that he is at least headed in the right direction. Yankees manager Aaron Boone discussed a key aspect of his rehab that he still has to cross before playing, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

“Aaron Boone said Aaron Judge still has to build his endurance up. He’s been doing some side to side running and cutting lately,” writes Kirschner.

In his 49 games this season, Judge has continued producing at a superstar level with a 1.078 OPS and 19 home runs. The Yankees' offense around him has been brutal, posting a 95 OPS+ with the fourth-lowest on-base percentage over the course of the season. It has only gotten worse since Judge got injured pursuing a fly ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Injuries to other players like Jose Trevino, Josh Donaldson and Nestor Cortes have left the Yankees in need of a major jolt ahead of the trade deadline — and even then, it may not do them any good. With the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles looking like two of the best teams in all of baseball, the division crown is out of the question. A Wild Card spot can still be salvaged if they turn things around soon, though the forecast is not pretty.

Judge's injury has shown plain and clear that he is carrying the Yankees to relevancy. Without him, the roster is simply not good enough to compete for the World Series despite having other stars. Their depth remains thin despite having numerous big-name players.

With a timetable still yet to be determined, there's no telling just how much longer the Yankees have to survive without Judge. The first year of his new contract may be totally wasted on a mediocre team.