Aaron Judge, already back in the Yankees lineup as a DH, took a big step in his return to the outfield ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Texas Rangers.
Judge threw from about 60 feet while playing catch with Giancarlo Stanton on the outfield grass and came out feeling positive about his progress from the flexor strain in his right arm.
“Felt good to get out there. We’ll see what I can do tomorrow,” Judge said, via Newsday. “You’ve got a flexor strain. Like a hammy, the first time you run on a hammy, it’s going to be sore. But I didn’t feel like I did when I hurt it.”
The slugger went hitless in three at-bats with two strikeouts in his first game back from the 10-day IL on Tuesday — his first action since sustaining the injury on July 22 in Toronto. There is no timetable yet for Judge to be able to return to the outfield, and he was the DH with Stanton out of the lineup in the two games since his return. Manager Aaron Boone said earlier this week that Stanton could see time in the outfield during this weekend's series against the Houston Astros in The Bronx, indicating Judge would be held to hitting-only duties for a bit longer.
When asked if the soreness would be something he will have to manage for the remainder of the season, Judge said he anticipates it will eventually subside.
“I think for a little bit, and then eventually it will get better and we’ll be good to go and forget about it in a couple of weeks,” Judge said. “We’ll see. I’ve never had this.
“Would be easier if I had a quad or a hammy or oblique, I could kind of give you a better estimate of what we’ve got.”
In that regard, Judge equated the injury to “any muscle injury” when it comes down to playing despite any lingering pain.
“You pull a hammy, you have to be smart,” he said. “You just can’t blow it out. We’ll be smart with it.”
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