Aaron Judge resumed throwing to bases on Sunday afternoon, marking the first time he has done so since suffering a right flexor strain on July 22. Judge described the session as “checking a box” toward his return to playing in the outfield.
Since being activated from the injured list on August 5, Judge has been used only as a designated hitter. He said he does not know when he will be cleared to play in the outfield again and is relying on guidance from the team’s medical staff.
“It’s brutal. I’m a ballplayer,” Judge said. “I want to play both sides of the ball. I want to be out there making plays on defense, helping my team out. I know hitting is important, but I feel like I can impact the team on both sides. I can’t wait to be back out there.”
Manager Aaron Boone also stated that there is no set timetable for Judge’s return to defensive duties but called Sunday’s activity “another good step forward.”
In recent days, Judge has been throwing at distances of about 150 feet, though not yet at full strength.
“The name of the game right now is just making sure I can push the volume, push the level of it, and also make sure that I’m recovered enough to go out there and keep pushing it the next day,” Judge said. “Our training staff does a great job at that. They’re helping me try to get out there as fast as I can. I think they all know I want to be back out there.”
Judge noted that his injury affects him only when throwing and not while batting.
“It’s only when I try to throw,” Judge said.
The injury occurred while attempting a throw home against Toronto’s Davis Schneider, leading to a stint on the 10-day injured list and treatment with a platelet-rich plasma injection aimed at speeding recovery.
Since returning as DH, Judge’s offensive numbers have declined compared with his pre-injury performance; in 16 games entering Sunday he batted .218 with three home runs and seven RBIs after posting .342 with 37 homers and 85 RBIs in 103 games before getting hurt.
With Judge unable to play defense, Giancarlo Stanton has shifted into an outfield role for New York—a position he did not occupy during all of last season. As of Sunday, Stanton had played right field ten times since August 9. Boone acknowledged some defensive trade-offs are necessary when Stanton plays in the field.
“The bottom line is, we want to do this the right way,” Boone said. “As much as [Judge] wants to be out there and we want him out there, we want to do everything possible to put ourselves in the best position to not re-injure this.”
