Yankees' Aaron Judge inching toward return to outfield
Aaron Judge throws a ball in from rightfield against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on June 7. Credit: Jim McIsaac
ST. LOUIS — Aaron Judge is closing in on playing the outfield, though there remains no specific timeline for that.
“I think sooner [rather] than later, but I don’t have that answer,” general manager Brian Cashman said before the Yankees started a three-game series against the Cardinals.
Judge, who spent July 26-Aug. 4 on the injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow, has served as the DH since his return, including Friday night. He began his throwing program Aug. 6 in Arlington and has continued to play long toss.
“I think he’s going to throw long toss again today, so see how that progression continues to go,” Aaron Boone said late Friday afternoon.
Boone said as part of that progression, the training staff will have Judge “throw to bases at some point,” which likely will be among the final boxes he will have to check before being declared ready to play in the field.
“I don’t have a day yet for you,” Boone said of Judge being an option in the field. “But it’s going pretty well so far.”
Because of a desire to keep Giancarlo Stanton’s bat in the lineup, the Yankees last week started playing him in rightfield, where he played in three of the last four games before Jose Caballero started in rightfield on Friday. Stanton, who started the season on the IL with tennis elbow in both elbows, had not played the field in two years before doing so last Saturday.
Boone indicated that Stanton will play rightfield on Saturday, though he didn’t commit to it.
“I hope so,” he said. “We’ll see.”
How did Stanton physically come through his three nights in the outfield?
“OK,” Boone said with a smile. “I think we’re doing all right.”
Goldschmidt avoids IL
The Yankees appear to have avoided the worst with first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who suffered a low-grade right knee sprain while making a catch on the dirt in front of the home dugout at the Stadium during Tuesday night’s victory over the Twins.
“Definitely a lot better,” Goldschmidt said Friday.
The Yankees started Cody Bellinger at first base on Friday night, but Goldschmidt said he anticipated being an option off the bench.
“I’m ready to go tonight,” he said.
Goldschmidt, who never wants to sit in the best of circumstances, certainly doesn’t want to this weekend. He played the previous six seasons for St. Louis before signing a one-year free-agent contract during the offseason with the Yankees.
“There’s just some amazing memories and accomplishments, but also some disappointments from my time here,” said Goldschmidt, who was named the 2022 National League MVP as a Cardinal. “The goal with the Cardinals, and the Yankees it’s the same way, it’s win the World Series, and we didn’t do it.”
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.
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