There is still uncertainty surrounding New York Yankees star Aaron Judge’s return to the outfield, but he took a significant step in that direction on Sunday.
Judge threw to bases at Yankee Stadium for the first time since sustaining a flexor strain in his right arm earlier this month. He threw balls from a distance of about 150 feet before the Yankees faced off against the Boston Red Sox.
As for his full recovery and return to the outfield, neither Judge nor manager Aaron Boone provided a clear timeline.
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“The bottom line is we want to do this the right way,” Boone said, via ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. “And as much as he wants to be out there and we want him out there, we’ve got to make sure we want to do everything possible to put ourselves in the best position to not reinjure this.”
Since returning from the injured list on Aug. 5, Judge has served as the designated hitter for the Yankees, with Giancarlo Stanton taking his place in right field.
Despite leading the league with a .326 batting average, 40 home runs, and 92 RBIs, Judge’s production has declined since transitioning to the designated hitter role. He has a .218 batting average during that time.
The Yankees entered Sunday’s game with a 69-60 record, having lost three consecutive games to the Red Sox after a five-game winning streak. They currently sit in third place in the AL East standings while holding onto a wild card spot.
Although the timeline for Judge’s return to the outfield remains uncertain, he mentioned on Sunday that he is still not at 100% and is undergoing “quite a bit” of treatment. However, his return could significantly impact the Yankees as they approach the final stretch of the regular season.
“I’m a ballplayer,” Judge 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.”