Yankees' Aaron Judge still shut down, continues to undergo testing
Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge looks on during spring training in Tampa on Feb. 11. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees eventually will figure out what has been ailing Aaron Judge.
That day was not Wednesday.
“I've got nothing more to give other than the fact that he's still getting the tests,” general manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday.
Judge has been undergoing nothing but tests after being shut down late last week because of soreness that a month ago he felt in his right shoulder area before being felt in his pec area, according to Aaron Boone.
The rightfielder underwent testing Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with no answers as of yet. Meanwhile, the spring continues without Judge, who hasn’t done baseball activities of any kind since being shut down last Friday when he felt the discomfort while hitting indoors.
Cashman on Tuesday said Judge wasn’t likely to be ready by the season-opener March 26. And while Boone later in the day called that prediction “premature,” the reality is Judge, shut down indefinitely, currently doesn’t appear close to being ready for a spring training game let alone one that counts in three weeks.
“It’s been hard not getting a conclusion what exactly is going on,” Boone said Wednesday. “I feel we’re getting close to that and we’ll probably have something for you in the next day or so. But for Aaron it’s just been frustrating [and] I think for all of us. We want to get to the bottom of it, get answers and know what we need to do for him.”
Extra bases
Miguel Andujar, who has played mostly in left this spring and done reasonably well at the unfamiliar position, is slated to tackle another one Thursday in Lakeland as he’ll start at first base . . . Closer Aroldis Chapman was originally scheduled to make his spring debut Wednesday night but instead threw a bullpen session and will debut Friday. “He’s on track,” Boone said. “He’s gotten the work he needs to get in.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
