Yankees slugger Aaron Judge's latest injury is a big concern
New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge stands in the dugout before a spring training baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays Friday, March 1, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) Credit: AP/Charlie Neibergall
TAMPA, Fla. — One thing stuck out Tuesday morning when Aaron Judge discussed his latest injury, this one having to do with an achy upper abdominal muscle.
His big toe.
Those two regions are nowhere near each other on the 6-7 Judge, but he brought up a correlation between the distant neighbors. You know, the whole kinetic chain thing.
Everyone remembers the catastrophe that resulted in the torn toe ligament last June, when Judge inadvertently kicked the concrete base of the rightfield wall at Dodger Stadium. But the fallout from that freakish collision has lingered all this time later, with Judge reminding us repeatedly how the toe still requires maintenance, and probably will for the remainder of his career.
So what exactly does that right big toe have to do with Judge now being sidelined probably through the end of this week, and maybe even threatening Opening Day? Here’s the explanation, in Judge’s own words:
“I think just from swinging, from November all the way ’til now, every single day, put some wear and tear on it,” said Judge, who turns 32 next month. “Especially coming back after a toe injury, when your mechanics are a little messed up and you’re working on some things. So I think it’s just part of being a baseball player every day. I’d rather take a couple days now, when these games don’t matter, then miss some games in April or May.”
Sounds logical. While time is getting a little tighter, Judge doesn’t have to rush at this point. Not yet anyway. But still compensating for that toe injury, more than nine months later? That’s something to keep an eye on, particularly with the Juan Soto trade forcing Judge to become the Yankees’ regular centerfielder this season, one of the most high-impact positions on the field.
Despite his 282-pound frame, Judge already has shown he has the athleticism and glove skills to excel there. Judge made 78 starts in center during his 2022 MVP season, and that contract push also happened to be the healthiest stretch of his eight-year career (157 games). Otherwise, the Yankees’ captain has struggled to go wire-to-wire without a few medical hiccups in between. After Judge’s 155-game season in 2017, his Rookie of the Year campaign, he failed to play more than 112 games in three of the next five full seasons (not counting the COVID-shortened schedule in 2020).
“He’s gotten really good at playing through things, and with things, still at a very high level,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Which is important. Not everyone can.”
Now that Judge has the lifetime security of his $360 million contract, the biggest challenge for him is finding a way to maximize his ability to stay on the field. That’s not easy when you’re the size of an NFL tight end but dive into the turf or crash into walls without the benefit of a helmet and shoulder pads. Some of what’s happened to Judge has been plain bad luck, whether being drilled on the wrist by a pitch, awkwardly sliding into third base or smashing into that wall at Chavez Ravine.
But Judge isn’t getting any younger either. He’s acknowledged the need to play smarter, and that means switching into a lower gear on occasion. Or in this case, with the balky abdominal muscle, dialing back on his spring training workload. Judge insisted again Tuesday that his early fourth-inning exit from Sunday’s Grapefruit League game was the plan before the first pitch, but he didn’t look comfortable striking out twice, and neither he nor Boone were fully transparent about his condition afterward.
It was Boone who finally said Monday that Judge was nursing a “core” issue, but told us he was expected to play in Wednesday’s game against the Red Sox at Steinbrenner Field. Roughly 24 hours later, Judge held court in the Yankees’ clubhouse and painted a more serious picture, presumably much closer to the truth than the original stories (Boone said he didn’t know about Judge’s MRI until he was driving home Monday afternoon from the game in Clearwater).
Judge spilled the details on Monday’s MRI — “everything came back great, nothing there” — as well as his ab-modified schedule, which will prevent him from swinging a bat until maybe later this week. As for the ramp-up for Opening Day, Judge figures that he typically needs approximately 30 at-bats in Grapefruit League games, so that puts him around halfway there, as Judge is currently hitting .143 (2-for-14) with a double and five strikeouts through six games. He wasn’t making any promises, however, when asked directly about being ready for the March 28 opener at Minute Maid Park.
“I’m pretty sure,” Judge said. “I don’t want to speculate or talk about anything that hasn’t come yet. But the most important thing is taking some time now and be back out there soon.”
With Gerrit Cole, the Yankees’ ace, soon to be scratched from the Opening Day start — and potentially much longer — due to elbow issues (the team was huddling over more tests Tuesday), the idea that Judge could also be a spectator in Houston is a stunning development after the first month of spring training tranquility. The Yankees might have plenty of experience soldiering on in Judge’s absence, but they can probably forget about trying to win a title without him. They’d prefer that Judge doesn’t start off this season on the wrong foot.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
