Baseball powerhouses Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton engaged in outfield practice for the Yankees
In the ongoing Major League Baseball season, the New York Yankees are navigating the recovery of star player Aaron Judge from a right elbow flexor strain. As Judge continues to make progress, the team is carefully managing his return to the field, with backup catcher Ben Rice stepping in to cover some outfield duties.
Judge, who was initially placed on the injured list in late July, has shown promising signs in his recovery. MRI results confirmed no damage to his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), allowing for a quicker recovery without surgery[1][3][5]. His return to the Yankees' lineup as a designated hitter (DH) in early August is a testament to his rapid progress[1][4].
During his first throwing session post-injury, Judge described some soreness but no pain resembling the original injury and expects continued improvement over the following weeks[2]. The Yankees are cautious about rushing him back to full fielding to avoid setbacks, and Judge himself acknowledges the elbow is not yet fully healed and likely won’t be 100% until the offseason[4].
To accommodate Judge's reduced throwing capacity, the Yankees have been relying on Giancarlo Stanton to cover more outfield duties[2][4]. The team aims to leverage Judge's offensive value heading into the final stretch of the regular season while carefully managing his defensive workload.
Meanwhile, Jasson Domínguez has been struggling in left field, but he made a notable play in the 10th inning against the Rays, making a leaping catch up against the wall to limit the Rays to just a sacrifice fly[6].
As the Yankees continue their pursuit of the playoffs, the team's strategic management of Judge's recovery and outfield coverage will be key to their success.
[1] https://www.espn.com/mlb/story//id/34167777/aaron-judge-yanks-hope-return-tuesday-10-day-il [2] https://nypost.com/2023/08/05/aaron-judge-still-not-throwing-but-making-progress-in-elbow-recovery/ [3] https://www.mlb.com/news/aaron-judge-out-of-yanks-lineup-with-right-elbow-flexor-strain/c-351506172 [4] https://www.si.com/mlb/yankees/news/aaron-judge-says-elbow-feels-good-as-he-continues-to-progress-toward-return [5] https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/yankees/2023/08/02/aaron-judge-yankees-elbow-flexor-strain-no-damage-ulnar-collateral-ligament/11001944002/ [6] https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore//gameId/401420987
The Major League Baseball season witnesses the Yankees' strategic management of sports injuries, with star player Aaron Judge's recovery from a right elbow flexor strain being a prime example. As Judge gains momentum in his return to the field, the team's business strategy revolves around leveraging his offensive value during the final stretch of the regular season while carefully managing his sports-related duties.
