New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was named a starter in the MLB All-Star Game. Will he be able to play due to his injured right big toe?
The New York Yankees have had to navigate the past month without superstar outfielder and reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge. That's because he suffered an injury to his right big toe after running through the outfield fence at Dodger Stadium when making a catch.
What was initially described as a sprain, Judge broke his silence, revealing that he was dealing with a torn ligament in his toe. With that, his timeline for a return became that much cloudier.
Last week, the starters for the American and National League teams for the 2023 MLB All-Star Game were revealed, and Judge was named a starting outfielder alongside Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels and Randy Arozarena of the Tampa Bay Rays. But would he play in the Midsummer Classic on July 11?
Before the team's game against the Baltimore Orioles on July 4, Judge revealed that he has recently been doing some light hitting and playing catch. But in regards to making the trip to Seattle for the All-Star Game, Judge is still uncertain if he will. This comes courtesy of Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News
Aaron Judge is uncertain about attending MLB All-Star Game due to injury
While Judge did say that he has been walking better, he said, via The Athletic's Chris Kirschner, that his toe still "doesn't feel great."
Additionally, Judge was asked about getting surgery to repair the torn ligament in his right big toe. The outfielder ruled it out, saying, "We're not doing that this year," but didn't rule out getting it after the season's over, via Kirschner.
Without Judge, the Yankees' offense took a massive hit. Big names like Giancarlo Stanton, D.J. LeMahieu, and Josh Donaldson struggled to fill the void left by Judge in the lineup.
Even so, the Yankees have been able to get by thanks in part to their pitching staff — starting rotation and bullpen. They won three of their past four series (Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and Oakland Athletics), and witnessed Domingo German throw their first perfect game since Davie Cone did so back in 1999.
Yet, it has been a mixed bag of results for the Yankees. They have gone 12-13 since Judge suffered his big toe injury, and have a two-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays for the final Wild Card spot in the AL.
With a matter of days before the All-Star break, there is still no firm timetable for Judge's return.
