Aaron Judge returns for the Yankees on Tuesday in a huge boost for underpressure manager Aaron Boone — with his star slugger out since April 27 with a right hip strain
- Aaron Judge has been batting and running in the batting cage this week
- The star slugger now returns for the New York Yankees on Tuesday
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
New York slugger Aaron Judge, out April 27 with a right hip strain, is expected to return for the Yankees’ game against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday.
New York manager Aaron Boone made the comment Saturday before the team’s game at the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida, not far from the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa.
Judge practiced Friday and Saturday at the Tampa complex, hitting the batting cage and running. He also shook flyballs during the Yankees’ batting practice ahead of their Friday game against the Rays.
“I think he’s doing really well,” Boone said. “I think we’ll be in a good place on Tuesday, where he’s done everything for days.
“That was the calculus this weekend,” Boone added. “It’s like we want to push him back out when he’s 85, 90 percent?
“I wasn’t comfortable with that just because I don’t want a species to turn into a bad situation that we’re talking about in six, eight weeks.”
Aaron Judge will return for the New York Yankees on Tuesday after suffering a hip strain
Judge, the Yankees’ star slugger, has been out injured since April 27 with the problem
Judge missed his eighth game on Saturday, with Tuesday his first day of eligibility to come off the injured list.
He injured the hip when he slid head-first into third base on a stealing lunge on April 26 at Minnesota, then played the next night at Texas before leaving the game early with hip pain.
The 2022 American League MVP hit .261 with six home runs and 14 RBIs in 26 games. A career .283 batter, Judge broke the AL home run record with 62 dingers last season and also led the majors in RBIs (131), runs (133) and slugging percentage (.686).
The four-time All-Star signed a nine-year, $360 million deal to stay with New York after last season.
Boone also commented on other Yankees players who were injured. Third baseman Josh Donaldson (right hamstring strain), out April 6, trains with Judge. Donaldson will step up his drills over the next week in anticipation of a potential minor league rehab assignment.
Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (sprained left hamstring), out since April 16, makes progress with no return schedule.
‘He is doing well.’ Boonen said. “I’m kind of encouraged with how his progress has been going quite well.”
Right-hander Luis Severino (low-grade lat strain) is scheduled for at least three rehab starts for Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes-Barre starting Wednesday. Left-hander Carlos Rodon, who like Severino hasn’t pitched this season, was out with a left forearm strain and now has back problems. He will have an injection on Tuesday.