Late this afternoon the Yankees announced that Aaron Judge will be shut down for one week due to a sore shoulder. Judge has said he is not concerned. The Yankees will reevaluate Judge in one week.
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees was scratched from batting practice today, due to “continued right shoulder maintenance” according to a Newsday article written by Erik Boland. This action is reportedly purely precautionary, according to Aaron Boone. Judge will reportedly participate fully in all other activities today during the first full team workout in Tampa, FL. In a video posted by Marly Rivera of ESPN, Judge is seen stretching with his teammates.
https://twitter.com/MarlyRiveraESPN/status/1229804156782858241?s=20
Judge’s Shoulder Issues
This news will undoubtedly cause Yankee fans to worry. We all remember the injury-plagued 2019 season and the unofficial team slogan Next Man Up. Despite missing 54 games battling an oblique strain, Judge still put up quality numbers. Judge batted .272 with a .381 OBP, 27 homers and 55 RBIs in 102 games.
Judge is no stranger to shoulder issues, undergoing a minor procedure back in 2017 when he received an “arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder” according to an article By Lindsay Berra on MLB.com. The procedure involved a loose-body removal and cartilage clean-up, which had Judge up and running by Spring Training. While Judge being scratched from batting practice is disconcerting, there is no reason to believe this is anything more than routine. In a video posted on Twitter by Julian Guilarte, you can see Judge participating in fielding drills and throwing.
👨🏽⚖️ getting work in RF still won’t be hitting today #NYY #PinstripePride #SpringTraining2020 #AllRise pic.twitter.com/MLhCAucaWN
— Julian Guilarte (@JulianGuilarte1) February 18, 2020
Team Outlook
Judge will play a key role in the Yankee’s World Series aspirations. Whether it’s on the field with his excellent defense and power hitting as well as in the clubhouse with his leadership. The main goal of the Yankee’s new training staff will be to keep stars like Judge healthy come April.
Judge is scheduled to speak with the media today following practice, hopefully enlightening the media and fans on his health status. The Yankees open their Spring Training games in Tampa on February 22 at 1:05 pm against the Toronto Blue Jays.
