When is Yankees star Aaron Judge coming back? General manager Brian Cashman provided a few breadcrumbs on Judge's recovery progress on Sunday.
At this point in the season, every New York Yankees fan ought to go to their local church on Sundays, get down on both knees, and pray. "Dear whatever higher power is up there, please let Aaron Judge return as soon as possible. Amen."
The Yankees have been without their offensive centerpiece since Judge tore a ligament in his right big toe on June 3. New York's feeble attempts to replace Judge have led to bitter disappointment. The team's litany of unforced errors on defense has led to bitter disappointment. The season as a whole? You guessed it, bitter disappointment.
Judge did participate in batting practice on Friday, and he also did some drills and running on the field. The light at the end of the Yankees' tunnel is in the cookie-cutter shape of Judge, and the club has since provided more information on the superstar slugger's recovery timeline.
A few days after punching fans in the gut with an injury update on Judge, general manager Brian Cashman had more positive things to say on Sunday afternoon.
Still incredibly vague wording, but it's better than the alternative.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman says Aaron Judge's recovery progress is 'encouraging'
At the time of this writing, the Yankees haven't given a specific timetable for Judge's return. Aaron Boone reportedly hasn't discussed a potential minor league stint for Judge, either, with the assumption that Judge isn't ready for that amount of action yet.
Prior to his injury, Judge was batting .291 with 19 homers and 40 RBIs, embodying the lifeblood of the Yankees' hitting corps. The Yankees now rank near the bottom of the MLB in several offensive categories (i.e. 27th in wRC+ and 29th in OBP), a startling issue that the club has tried to fix by dismissing hitting coach Dillon Lawson and hiring Sean Casey.
Tied for last place in the AL East, the Yankees need Judge to get back on the playoff track. Hence, the whole point of praying.
Fans can throw in some side begging along with their main prayer of wishing Judge a swift recovery, something like, "It'd be great to get Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto, too." But that's getting a little greedy, don't you think?
