Yankees' Aaron Judge takes live BP, still hasn't run bases as wild-card series nears
Published in Baseball
NEW YORK — With rosters for the wild-card series due on Tuesday, Aaron Judge kept making his case for a spot on the Yankees’ squad on Monday.
The back-to-back MVP took on-field batting practice and faced live pitching during the Bombers’ pre-postseason workout at Yankee Stadium. It was his first time hitting in such fashion since suffering a moderate strain in the soleus muscle of his right calf on Sept. 16.
“I’m feeling great,” Judge said before the workout. “I’ve been doing a lot of work back there to try to get back as soon as I can. I’ve been swinging for a couple days, moving around. I’m excited to get on the field and hit a little bit today and see what we can do.”
Neither Judge nor Aaron Boone talked after the workout. Judge, who faced Elmer Rodríguez and another roster hopeful in Ryan Weathers, worked two walks, struck out looking and hit a ground ball back to the pitcher over four plate appearances.
Judge has repeatedly pushed for what would be an expedited return from his calf injury; moderate strains typically require 3-6 weeks of rest and recovery. That didn’t change on Monday with the slugger still hopeful that he’ll be active for the pinstripers’ rematch with the Red Sox.
“I’ve been doing a lot of convincing, I feel like, so I’m going to keep doing that,” Judge said before adding, “We’re all going to be smart, but I think they all know I want to be out there, especially in the first game.
“Guys take risks every single day. I know a lot of guys in here are banged up and dealing with stuff. So, yeah, I understand the risks.”
One thing Judge has not been doing is baserunning. Asked if he’s done any type of running, Judge only mentioned work on the Yankees’ zero-gravity treadmill.
He did not do any outdoor running after he hit on Monday, nor did he do any defensive work despite his stated desire to be a viable option in right field whenever he returns.
Giancarlo Stanton, also trying to crack the wild-card roster after multiple calf strains of his own, did run after getting five plate appearances on Monday. That included some baserunning.
Considering he has yet to do any serious running, one would think a player in Judge’s situation is not an option for the Yankees’ wild-card roster. But the captain often gets what he wants, and the Yankees have yet to rule anything out, including a scenario in which Judge is active for the series but not available until after Game 1.
“He’s making progress. We’ll continue to see where he’s at,” Boone said before the workout.
The manager declined to say if only being a DH or pinch-hit option is more realistic, deferring to impending conversations with the Yankees’ medical and training staffs.
Judge, meanwhile, was asked if he expected to be included in the club’s final deliberations.
“I’m a part of zero plans,” he said. “They make the decisions. They kind of run this. So I voice my opinions. That might be 1% of what goes into the final say so.”
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