Yankees manager shares encouraging Aaron Judge update

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone suggested a second platelet-rich plasma injection significantly helped slugger Aaron Judge. 

"I’m encouraged by what I’m seeing and in conversations with him," Boone said about Judge before Tuesday's home series opener against the Seattle Mariners, per Dan Martin of the New York Post. "And I feel he feels there’s been a little bit of a breakthrough… Hopefully, this is the start of him making real progress." 

Judge hasn't played since he suffered a ligament sprain and contusion on his big right toe on June 3, and it's been feared the Yankees could be without the reigning American League Most Valuable Player through the All-Star break. Without Judge in the lineup, the Yankees lost eight of 12 games and four straight heading into Tuesday night. 

New York previously went 4-6 when Judge was sidelined with a right hip strain earlier this spring. 

It's not all good news regarding the eventual return of the Yankees captain, as Boone mentioned Judge hasn't yet resumed baseball-related activities. It sounds like the 31-year-old remains weeks away from contributing to what may not be a playoff team without his services. 

Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com pointed out on Monday that, as of that time, the 2023 Yankees scored three or fewer runs in 13 of 23 games without Judge. To compare, the Bronx Bombers were held to three or fewer runs in 19 of 49 contests with the four-time All-Star selection in the lineup. 

Despite his absences, ESPN stats show Judge began Tuesday sixth among all players with 19 home runs on the season, and he was responsible for 40 RBI and a 1.078 OPS across 49 games before his latest setback. The Judge-less Yankees started the evening 10.5-games back of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East standings and in danger of dropping out of an AL Wild Card spot.