With less than a week until the MLB trade deadline, let’s check in on the MLB rumors surrounding the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.
MLB rumors: Aaron Judge returning from injured list soon?
There is no question that the New York Yankees have missed having the reigning American League MVP in the lineup since he went on the injured list on June 7 (retroactive to June 4) with a right great toe sprain. However, there have been signs that Judge was closing in on a return date. Now we may know exactly when that could happen.
Aaron Judge played five innings in the field at the Yankees’ Tampa complex today, according to Aaron Boone, who said he would not rule out Judge returning during the Orioles series.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) July 25, 2023
While it’s possible that Judge could return in time to face Baltimore, Chris Kirschner, who covers the Yankees for The Athletic, believes that “more progress is needed for that to happen.”
It could be an aggressive timeline, but the Yankees are running out of time to get a much-needed boost in their offense from Judge, who was slashing .291/.404/.674 with 19 home runs and 40 RBI at the time of his injury. With the Yankees entering Tuesday’s play tied with the Boston Red Sox at the bottom of the AL East (and in the Wild Card chase, 2.5 games out of a spot), getting Judge back in the lineup quickly yet safely is a priority in the Bronx.
Will it be this weekend in Baltimore? Having Judge back before the MLB trade deadline could be a boost for a Yankees team that posted a losing record in July and is under .500 for the month of August as well.
UPDATE: Joel Sherman of The New York Post is reporting Judge will be activated on Friday.