New York, NY — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is still confined to the designated hitter role as he continues to recover from a right flexor strain. Manager Aaron Boone noted before Saturday’s game against the Boston Red Sox that Judge is progressing with his throwing program, although no specific timeline has been established for his return to right field.
Judge, who expressed optimism about his recovery, mentioned he was feeling “great” but remained uncertain about the next stages in his throwing regimen. “We’ll see,” he replied when asked about starting throws to bases.
The Yankees are eager to have Judge back in the outfield; his absence has caused significant challenges for the team. Giancarlo Stanton has stepped in to fill the right-field position, but his performance has been less than ideal, particularly in a rough ninth inning during Saturday’s 12-1 loss to Boston. Boone acknowledged the difficulties of having Stanton in the field, although he avoided critical mistakes.
“That’s the challenge with him going out there,” Boone said, adding that Stanton has been making decent throws but is facing limitations in his comfort level in right field. Despite these concerns, Stanton has maintained his offensive prowess, hitting six home runs in the last nine games, including one during Saturday’s game. However, the Yankees’ overall offensive output has stagnated against Boston.
While attention focuses on Judge’s fielding return, his hitting since coming off the injured list on August 5 has not matched his earlier performance. Before his injury, Judge had an OPS of 1.175 with an impressive slugging percentage of .711. After 15 games back, his OPS has dropped to .806, with a slugging percentage of .412.
Boone dismissed the notion that Judge’s recent struggles are related to his injury. In the game against the Red Sox, Judge showcased his potential by hitting a double with notable speed off Garrett Crochet and another solid hit against Greg Weissert.
The Yankees also faced challenges from new acquisition Paul Blackburn, who struggled in his debut by allowing seven runs over 3 ⅓ innings. His performance included a balk that further hampered his outing, compounded by defensive errors from teammates.
On a more positive note, Boone indicated that reliever Fernando Cruz, currently dealing with an oblique strain, could return to the bullpen as early as Sunday or Monday.
The Yankees’ lower order, however, failed to show up, as the bottom half of the lineup went a combined 0-for-13, which included five strikeouts. With Judge still working his way back to full fitness, the team faces a critical juncture in the season as they look for ways to improve their performance moving forward.
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