When two-time American League MVP Aaron Judge went the the 10-day injured list on July 26 with a flexor strain in his right elbow, the Yankees said at the time they expected their superstar back on the field as soon as he was eligible to return — and that is exactly what happened.
The 33-year-old who had been well on his way to a third MVP award before the injury was back in the lineup on August 5.
But there was a problem. A flexor injury does not heal in 10 days and though Judge was cleared to hit, he still could not make throws from the outfield. That meant he could serve only as the designated hitter — which is all Judge has done in 25 games since coming off the IL.
The Yankees were then left with a choice. Either bench their regular DH Giancarlo Stanton and his 446 career home runs, or put Stanton in the outfield — where he had not played a single game since September 14, 2023.
Stanton to Outfield For First Time in 2 Years
Stanton as of August 5 had already hit 10 home runs in just 126 at-bats, after starting the season on the injured list himself due to injuries in both elbows. Stanton did not play a game until June 16 this season. The Yankees clearly could not simply remove a hitter who was belting one home run every 12.6 at bats.
Meanwhile, Stanton — ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Houston Astros — had played 15 games in the outfield due to Judge’s absence and already been charged with -3 defensive runs saved, according to Fangraphs.
Judge’s Defensive Return ‘Far From Imminent’
Now, the Yankees are still facing the same dilemma with Judge’s throwing ramp-up program stalled — and manager Aaron Boone apparently has no plan for what to do next, according to a report published Wednesday by Pinstripes Nation.
Boone does seem to have a plan for what to do with Stanton in the outfield, however: move him to wherever he can do the least damage.
Judge played 14 of those 15 outfield games in right field, but on Tuesday night at Daikin Park in Houston, Boone shifted his hobbling emergency outfielder to left, despite that he had earlier asserted that he had “no plans” to move Stanton across the outfield.
“With Judge sidelined from outfield play, Stanton has been pushed into defensive roles he hasn’t handled regularly in years. Since August 9, he has filled in at right field. On Tuesday, he shifted to left to take advantage of Houston’s shorter 315-foot Crawford Boxes,” noted Pinstripes Nation scribe Esteban Quiñones.
The defensive shift “suggests the Yankees know Judge’s return to the outfield is far from imminent,” Quiñones wrote.
Boone Was Right: Judge Still Can’t Throw From Outfield
Back on August 19, Boone said of Judge, “I don’t think we’re going to see him back to throwing like he normally does at any point this year.”
The statement exposed a rift between the manager and his normally mild-mannered superstar, with Judge shooting back in the press, telling reporters, “I don’t know why he said that. He hasn’t seen me throw for the past two weeks. I’m pretty confident I’ll get back to it.”
But two weeks later, with Judge’s throwing range stuck at about 150 feet for those two weeks, it appears that Boone’s diagnosis was correct — but he has no idea what to do about it.
His team is bailing him out, however, as the Yankees have won eight of their last nine games to climb back into the top AL Wild Card spot.
Yankees Aaron Boone Seems to Have No Plan as Aaron Judge Throwing Program Stalls