RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The Yankees have been without three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge since May 31 due to a fracture in his ribcage . Firm timetables as to his possible return to the Yankees lineup have been difficult to come by, but Judge reiterated Wednesday that he believes he will return this season and, perhaps more importantly, let reporters know that he's been cleared for "light activity" and to begin running.
"I just got the scan yesterday," Judge said (via SNY ). "The minute they said, 'Alright, we're going to start running,' I said, 'OK, I'll see you outside."
Yankees manager Aaron Boone also told reporters that Judge, in addition to running, can begin upper-body resistance exercises in the weight room (via Newsday ).
This isn't as strenuous as throwing a ball or swinging a bat on the ribs, but any physical activity is good because it's a step forward. He had previously been shut down from any physical, athletic activity. It's still a bit frustrating with the lack of a timetable -- even something as open as "four to six weeks" -- but it would appear Judge is progressing toward a return.
The 34-year-old Judge was the best hitter in baseball from 2022-24 whenever he was on the field, hitting .311/.439/.677 (208 OPS+) in those three seasons combined, posting 162-game averages of 59 home runs and 131 RBI. He was a bit down before the injury this season, being "held" to a .248/.375/.533 line, which is still a 151 OPS+ (or 51% above league average in ballpark-adjusted OPS). He hit 17 home runs in his 59 games prior to the IL stint.
The Yankees were 36-23 when he went down and they've gone, heading into Wednesday night's game, 28-27 since. The offense has been a problem with Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and now Cody Bellinger on the IL. When Judge got hurt, the Yankees were averaging 5.17 runs per game. Since the injury, they are averaging 3.93 runs a game.
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