Surgery to repair a sprained right big toe is still very much a possibility for New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, though it would most likely wait until the offseason if it were to happen.
“There’s talk of surgery, but I don’t think we’re at that [point,],” Judge said (h/t MLB.com). “I’m not a doctor. I have no idea. They throw around eight different things [at me].”
The 31-year-old superstar has been out since June 3 after suffering a torn ligament in the toe while crashing through the right-field fence at Dodger Stadium. Incremental progress has been made in the form of light hitting and throwing after resuming baseball activities on June 28 while the Yankees were in Oakland. He has not attempted to run yet, though, which maintains a murky timetable for a return.
“I’ve got to be able to run. If I cant run, then I can play,” Judge said. “Me running at 10% isn’t going to help anybody out there. Once we build up that strength and get the pain and all that out of there, we’re going to be in a good spot. I understand you’re going to deal with some pain coming back, so it’s just about getting to a point where it’s tolerable and we’re not setting ourselves back here.”
Judge’s injury threw a wrench into what was shaping up to be another historic season for one of the most feared sluggers in the game.
After setting an American League record in 2022 with 63 home runs, the right-hander bashed 19 round-trippers in his first 49 games this year. That carried a 162-game pace of 62 homers.
“I don’t think it’ll ever be normal, but I’m moving around pretty well right now,” Judge said of his ailing toe. “I can’t see the future. I’m just telling you how it is right now and what we’ve got.”
His absence has obviously left a substantial void within the Yankees’ lineup. They are 13-13 following in the 26 games without him following Tuesday’s win over the Baltimore Orioles, which has done little to help their standing in the American League East.
Entering Wednesday’s action, they sat in third place, eight games back of the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays.
