Aaron Judge injury latest: Yankees slugger timetable in limbo after injection

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge received another platelet-rich plasma injection in his sprained right toe on Thursday, but it hasn’t done much to provide clarity on when the reigning American League MVP will be back in the starting lineup.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone speculated that it could take one week or one month for Judge to return depending on how the toe reacts to the injections — though he continues to maintain the belief that it will come before the All-Star break next month even if surgery isn’t off the table just yet.

“I think he could be back in a week. I think he could be back in four. I don’t know,” Boone said. “We have to get to a point where we’re starting to move the ball from a physical activity and baseball standpoint. Hopefully, the latest PRP is part of speeding that process up.”

Yankees Aaron Judge — New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge walks to the dugout after striking out against the Texas Rangers during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

Should things trend in the right direction, range-of-motion workouts in the pool will be next for the 31-year-old, who suffered the injury during a June 3 game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles when he made a highlight-reel catch in right field while crashing through the fence.

“It starts in simple things like his gait,” Boone said. “Basic, light things and then as you graduate through his rehab hopefully you start to get there in the next couple of days.”

In his absence, the Yankees have understandably struggled to produce any sort of offensive consistency. Prior to Sunday’s doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, they were 4-6 in their last 10 and were held to three or fewer runs six times.