TAMPA — Aaron Boone offered a notable update on Tuesday morning when he told WFAN that Aaron Judge, still rehabbing a right flexor strain, will likely be compromised when throwing for the rest of the 2025 season.
“We’re trying to get through where he can let it go with ease and be able to protect himself, obviously,” the manager said before the Yankees began a two-game series in Tampa. “I don’t think we’re going to see him back to throwing like he normally does at any point this year, but that’s OK, too. But we’ve gotta feel like he can go out there and be able to protect himself and represent himself.”
Boone’s note about Judge not throwing “normally” again spread quickly, as it was the first time the skipper had said such a thing. However, the news seemed to puzzle Judge when he spoke to reporters at George M. Steinbrenner Field early Tuesday evening.
“I don’t know why he said that,” Judge said. “He hasn’t seen me throw for the past two weeks, so I’m pretty confident I’ll get back to [100 percent].”
Minutes before Judge spoke, Boone walked back his radio comments while meeting with reporters for his daily pregame press conference. He said that he overstated his remarks earlier in the day, and that he was just trying to say that he doesn’t expect Judge to be throwing at 100% when he first returns to the outfield.
“I’m just saying, is he going to come back and be the 70-80 arm that he normally is?” Boone explained, referring to the numerical system that scouts use. “I don’t know that I’m expecting that necessarily, but when we get him out there, I would expect him to be able to handle himself.
“I was trying to say, initially, I don’t expect him coming out and making Aaron Judge throws that we’ve become accustomed to seeing.”
But when asked if Judge could be throwing at 100% by the end of the season, Boone said, “I don’t know. We’ll see.”
Typically in possession of a deterring arm in right field, Judge has been restricted to DH duties since returning from the injured list on Aug. 5, as the Yankees wanted to get his MVP-caliber bat back in their lineup immediately as he continued to heal his flexor on the side.
Judge is not expected to return to right field while the Yankees are in Tampa. Boone previously expressed hope that Judge could get back in the outfield during this road trip, which already stopped in St. Louis.
While on WFAN, Boone did say “maybe” of Judge playing the outfield when the Yankees host the Red Sox later in the week. But he added, “I just don’t know yet.”
Judge is not sure when he will begin throwing to bases, the next big step on his to-do list. He did long toss again on Tuesday after previously doing so at 150 feet on Friday in St. Louis. Judge, who spoke after Tuesday’s throwing session, said he’s “feeling great” throwing, though he acknowledged there’s some soreness when he throws and after the fact.
Asked if he’s concerned about eventually having to let it rip, he said, “Not really, but I’m not stupid, so I’m gonna be cautious with it and make sure we don’t make it worse because we’ve got the rest of August, September and October. I gotta be out there for all those games.
“I’m not gonna be out there and be reckless, just like a guy, if he pulls a hamstring, you don’t expect him to go out there and run 120 percent on the first ball that he gets or base hit that he gets.”
Judge sustained his flexor strain in Toronto on July 22. YES Network cameras caught him wincing after a throw that night, though he said he hurt himself on a different throw earlier in the game.
When the Daily News asked Judge about the grimace the following day, the All-Star, never eager to discuss injuries, replied, “I make facial expressions all the time” before DH’ing against the Blue Jays. Judge then played right on July 25, but he struggled to throw the ball in from the outfield.
Judge went on the IL two days later.
At the time of Judge’s diagnosis, Boone said that Judge’s ulnar collateral ligament, the ligament associated with Tommy John surgery, was intact.
“We expect him to recover,” Boone added at the time when asked if Judge will have to deal with his flexor injury for the rest of the season.
On Tuesday with reporters, Boone said “not to my knowledge” when asked if there’s any concern Judge could need offseason surgery.
However, back in 2019, former Yankee Aaron Hicks underwent offseason Tommy John surgery after originally landing on the IL with a right flexor strain. The outfielder and the Yankees initially said that surgery wouldn’t be necessary on his UCL, but Hicks got the procedure about three months after going on the IL and experienced an eight-month recovery.
With Judge still stuck DH’ing, Boone penciled Giancarlo Stanton back into right field on Tuesday at the Rays’ rented George M. Steinbrenner Field, which has the same dimensions as Yankee Stadium. Stanton has dealt with his own DH restrictions over the years, but he returned to right field after Judge was activated.
The red-hot and oft-injured slugger actually played three straight games in right at Yankee Stadium last week, but he had trouble recovering, experienced lower-body soreness and only made one pinch-hit appearance in St. Louis, where Busch Stadium has an expansive outfield.
Boone added that he doesn’t plan on Stanton playing Wednesday.
“We’ll start with that,” he said, “and then see where we are for the Boston series.”
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