The New York Yankees face just two more series in the regular season, with a chance to seize the top spot in the American League East from the Toronto Blue Jays still in play. On Tuesday, they opened their second to last series with a win over the Chicago White Sox while the Blue Jays lost to the Boston Red Sox.
But no matter where the Yankees find themselves come playoff time, they’ll need to answer a major question for franchise superstar Aaron Judge.
After hurting his elbow in July, Judge endured a stint on the injured list before returning to the team as a designated hitter. He split that role with Giancarlo Stanton as he worked his way back into a part-time defensive position. With the playoffs looming, it looks like the Yankees will soon be playing Judge in the outfield every day even as their opponents are sure to test his health as much as they can.
“Judge’s throwing is still clearly compromised in right field due to the flexor strain that briefly landed him on the injured list and made him an exclusive DH for weeks,” Pete Caldera reported for NorthJersey.com. “But this is the Yanks’ reality; Judge will be in right field daily in October and teams will aggressively test to see if he’s able to air out throws.”
Judge was limited to a designated hitter’s role in the Yankees’ matchup with the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday before taking a turn out in right field on Monday. The team could try to reduce his time in the outfield as much as possible for the rest of the regular season. But come playoff time, the ideal lineup would see Judge back in the outfield for every game so that Stanton can serve as the exclusive designated hitter.
The Yankees have recovered from a brutal stretch of the season in recent weeks and they’ll be looking to carry some positive momentum into October. If Judge can stay healthy enough to play his regular role and carry his typical load offensively, that would go a long way in what the team is hoping will be a deep postseason run.