No Timetable Set For Aaron Judge Return From Toe Injury

It appears Yankee fans’ worst nightmare has come true

The severity of Aaron Judge’s toe injury has turned out to be worse than initially reported. On Saturday, the New York Yankees outfielder revealed that he had actually torn a ligament when he crashed through a wall at Dodger Stadium on June 4. Initially labeled as a sprain, the injury landed Judge on the injured list on June 6. He acknowledged that he still experiences pain in his foot when walking and is uncertain when he will be able to return to play this season. Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed optimism about Judge’s return but refrained from providing a definitive timeline.

Aaron Judge has told reporters he tore a ligament in his right toe

Judge also confirmed he still has pain when he walks, per @ChrisKirschner pic.twitter.com/gG6hPRveiq

— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 24, 2023

Boone Can’t Guarantee a 2023 Return for Judge

Boone stated, “That’s an absolute,” when asked if he could guarantee Judge’s return in 2023, but he clarified that he couldn’t make such assurances for any player. Judge’s injury deals a significant blow to his MVP candidacy and to the Yankees’ prospects for the 2023 season. Prior to the injury, Judge had an impressive batting line of .291/.404/.674. However, he no longer leads Major League Baseball in home runs or OPS, with his 19 home runs trailing behind five other players, including Shohei Ohtani. A NY doctor that has not treated Judge was asked what he would guess the potential timeline could be for his return.

Spoke to a sports orthopedic surgeon at NYU Langone who has not treated Aaron Judge, but he believes “optimistically, my best guess would be [that Judge could return] two months from the date of injury.”
That would be on or around Aug. 3.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 24, 2023

Horrible Timing to Lose Judge

This is not the first time Judge has dealt with injury setbacks this year. He previously spent time on the injured list due to a hip injury, causing him to miss ten games in late April and early May. Without Judge in the lineup, the Yankees have struggled, posting an 11-16 record in the 27 games he has missed this season. The team has also faced recent struggles, losing six of their past eight games and currently holding the third position in the AL East with a 41-35 record. The timing is less than ideal as the AL East race and Wildcard race are about to heat up as the baseball season approaches the All-Star break. The Yanks currently sit 9.5 games back of the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays.

Aaron Judge is legitimately the New York Yankees pic.twitter.com/GFJWayqYPE

— Addison (@YankeeWRLD) June 24, 2023