Tampa, Fla. – Although Judge Aaron Judge continues to recover from the correct flexor pull of the Yankees captain’s captain’s injury list late last month, manager Aaron Boone said in a radio interview Tuesday that the All-Star throw could be damaged for the rest of the season.
“We're trying to get through where he can relax and be able to protect himself,” Boone said on WFAN. “I don't think we're going to see him back to his throw like any time this year, but that's OK. We have to feel like he can go there, be able to protect himself and represent himself.”
The judge continued the throwing program at George M. Steinbrenner Field before Tuesday's game against the Rays, and then took a step back that his throwing may not return to 100% this year.
“I don't know why he said that,” the judge said. “He hasn't seen me throw it in the past two weeks. I'm very confident I'll go back to it.”
Boone clarified his remarks while talking to reporters ahead of Tuesday's game.
“I think what I want to say is that, initially, I didn't want him to come out and get Judge Aaron to throw, we're used to seeing it,” Boone said.
Boone said he expects the judge will not return to the outfield in the club's series against the Rays, but rather the possibility of a judge returning to the outfield against the Red Sox and will start a four-game series in New York on Thursday.
The judge's shots increased to 150 feet, although he hasn't thrown to the base yet. The judge said he was not worried about going all out and recovering his injury to “the man who pulled the hamstrings.”
“I'm not stupid, so I'll be cautious and make sure we don't get worse,” the judge said. “We're already in the rest of August, September and October. I have to go out in all these games. So I have to feel smart about it.”
The judge was injured in Toronto on July 22, when a television replay showed him having a prank after the right game. The judge stayed in that game and then played the next two games against the Blue Jays and the Phillies before landing in Illinois on July 27.
The Yankees said imaging at the time showed that the judge's ulnar ligament had “no acute injury.” The judge returned to the roster on August 5 at Texas’ designated batsman and has since played 11 games with a batting of .229/.426/.429 (8-35) and scored doubles, two home runs and six RBIs.
“We are on the right path,” the judge said.
Giancarlo Stanton began in the right field on Tuesday. Stanton made a struggling plate appearance in St. Louis last weekend after three straight games against the twins from August 11 to 13.
The team has been cautious with Stanton, and he said he had difficulties after the game. The Yankees’ initial plan was to have Stanton play against the Rays on Tuesday but not play on Wednesday.
“He talked with me on Sunday and made plans,” Boone said. “We talked about it.” [Stanton [playing] One of the two feels that the first one is the best. ”
The Yankees activated outfielder Amed Rosario on Tuesday while playing left-handed Brent Headrick on the 15-day injury roster with a left-handed bruised left arm. Receiver JC Escarra was selected as Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.