When Will Aaron Judge Return to the Yankees Spring Lineup?

The New York Yankees have found themselves surrounded by dark clouds. Whether it’s Gerrit Cole’s injury or their pitching staff’s lack of consistency, the team can’t catch a break. But amidst these dark times, the injury scare of Aaron Judge came in as a thunderstorm. For a moment or two, the fans felt things were on the brink of a breakdown. Luckily, it was just a false alarm – Judge was fit. So when does he come back to the plate? The skipper recently mentioned the answer.

Judge’s “uneasy” and “beat-up” feeling was enough to send the Yankees back to 2023. What would they do without Judge? That fear engulfed them. However, the MRI was “clean” and the pain was due to fatigue. Still, the team decided to take it easy and Judge missed his originally stated Wednesday return date. With Opening Day just a few weeks away, All Rise has indicated how he plans to be ready by that date.

According to the New York Post, Aaron Boone revealed that Aaron Judge was “penciled” in to play on Saturday. In a game against the Toronto Blue Jays, The Bronx Bombers’ captain is set to start at the center field. That is a huge relief for the team that is already dealing with losing their ace Gerrit Cole. However, while Judge is starting on Saturday, he indicates there’s still a long way to go before he can feel comfortable.

Judge had blamed his abs soreness on his tendency to take batting practice every day in the offseason. As a result, the superstar has decided to take a little break and is scheduled to start training on Thursday. However, one shouldn’t expect Judge to start swinging immediately. Boone has expressed that they were “just trying to make sure this doesn’t turn into something.”

As a result, the Bombers are being extra cautious with their captain. But with Opening Day near, Judge wants to feel comfortable. That means hitting practice may have to resume soon.

Aaron Judge hopes to hit soon, but the timeline remains unclear

Though Boone had penciled in Judge for a start on Saturday, he remained unsure about his hitting. The team doesn’t want to aggravate the abdominal issues of Judge. As a result, he could play Saturday without ramping up with swings. On the other hand, Judge has shared that he typically feels comfortable starting the season after about 30 spring at-bats.

At present, he has logged 16 plate appearances. While that’s a bit low, the 2022 AL MVP indicated that he could catch up by working against the pitching machines. Still, with there still being doubts over Judge’s swinging, the New York Yankees cannot sigh with relief just yet. However, the fact that Judge won’t miss the Opening Day sure is a piece of good news. Perhaps the sky is starting to get clear in the Bronx now.

Read more: As Aaron Judge and Juan Soto Lead AL MVP Odds, Will Injuries Impact the Yankees Captain’s Chances?