Yankees Slugger Aaron Judge ‘Getting Close’ to Return

The New York Yankees are in sole possession of last place in the American League East through 95 games for the first time since 1990. It’s not a pretty scene in the Bronx: New York is 50-45, nine games back of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays, and star slugger Aaron Judge has been out since suffering a torn toe ligament on June 3. 

After the Yankees’ seventh loss in their last nine games, on Tuesday manager Aaron Boone told Talkin’ Yanks that he doesn’t yet have a return date for Judge but that, “he’s getting close.” He didn’t rule out a return on July 25 against the New York Mets. 

“We very reasonably control our own destiny to get into the playoffs,” Boone added. 

Boone said that his involvement in trade talks is minimal, and he receives updates from general manager Brian Cashman. The Yankees have been rumored to be pursuing Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani; the non-waiver trade deadline is August 1. 

Asked this week if he considers this edition of the Yankees a championship-caliber team, Boone told reporters: “It’s baseball. Major League Baseball. Save it with that question. We’ve got two and a half months to put ourselves in a position to be championship-caliber. It’s on us. We’ve got to go prove that.”