Former Yankees star, announcer share Aaron Judge warnings amid uncertainty about return

As Dan Martin of the New York Post noted, it continues to seem that New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge will remain out of the club's lineup until the end of August at the earliest. 

Of course, such a timetable could result in Judge playing the role of September savior for the Yankees, depending on where the Bronx Bombers are in the standings at that time. On Wednesday night, Yes Network broadcasters Michael Kay and Paul O’Neill shared somewhat of a warning for fans regarding what Judge will be whenever he resumes facing MLB pitchers. 

Aaron Judge may need "a month or so to really get ready" for October?

"I don’t know what has happened this day and age, but guys come back off of the [injured list], it’s not like a two-week play-in," O’Neill, a former Yankees star, said. "...I don’t know if it’s ’cause of the equipment, the machines or whatever, but it seems to be like they get back in the groove much easier. But Aaron Judge is not allowed to do anything upper-body-wise. He is so big and strong that it might not hurt him. I don’t know. I just hope that he has a month or so to really get ready before the October games." 

The Yankees improved to 36-23 on May 31, the same day that Judge took his last in-game swing before he began missing time due to a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side. New York then endured a bit of a summer swoon before the club notched four consecutive wins to improve to 54-42 ahead of the All-Star break. 

The Yankees would be a playoff team if the postseason started on July 16. However, the 56-38 Tampa Bay Rays will begin Friday atop the American League East division standings. 

Yankees need some good Aaron Judge news

On July 9, Yankees senior vice president and general manager Brian Cashman indicated that Judge wasn't all that close to playing in any kind of game. That said, the Yankees seemingly haven't slammed the door shut on Judge possibly making his big-league return before August wraps up. 

"It’s all according to when he comes back," Kay added about Judge. "So if he comes back third week in August, middle of August, I think he’s got plenty of time to get himself right and get his swing down and go into the postseason like Aaron Judge. I think every time he steps onto the field, he has the potential to change the game. …He’s won two MVPs in a row, and now, the fact that he’s missed all these games and you see how it’s affected the Yankees, he could be the MVP again this year, without even playing."

It remains to be seen what Judge will be able to offer the Yankees if he isn't back until the middle of September. New York almost certainly will look to acquire some help before the Aug. 3 trade deadline arrives, but the harsh truth of the matter is that there's only one Judge available to the team this summer -- and he can only offer moral support until further notice.