New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Tuesday that star slugger Aaron Judge has been playing through shoulder soreness, per The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty.
The level of discomfort has been described as “nagging,” but it advanced over the weekend. Judge has been diagnosed with a bone bruise discovered from imaging and is expected to meet with a doctor on Tuesday night.
New York’s star outfielder last played on Sunday, May 31. He is still mashing the ball, with 17 home runs through 59 games. While his power numbers are there, Judge is batting just .248, which would be his lowest average since his rookie season in 2016 if the season ended today.
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Judge is out of the lineup for the team’s game on Tuesday at home against the Cleveland Guardians. He is expected to meet with doctors to determine a recovery timeline.
There is hope, per Boone, that it will be a day-to-day situation rather than a necessary addition to the 10-day injured list.
With Judge sidelined, the Yankees are turning to José Caballero to take over right field. He is a versatile utility player who typically plays infield but can fill in for Judge, especially in the short term.
Caballero has played in 49 games this season. He is slashing .263/.318/.388 with four home runs and 15 RBI.
If the Yankees slugger ends up needing to go to the IL, New York could look at calling up Spencer Jones again or just go with Caballero and wait until Jasson Dominguez is ready to return from his IL stint.
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