Yankees’ Aaron Judge admits his wrist is still broken

The New York Yankees are desperate for Aaron Judge to return to the lineup, but the talented slugger admits his wrist is still broken.

When Aaron Judge first went on the disabled list with a broken wrist the Yankees hoped he could return to action in as little as three weeks. At this point, it’s clear he isn’t going to make it back anywhere near that fast. The fact that his wrist is still broken means his return to the lineup is still at least a week away.

Judge recently told reporters that he is still experiencing pain in his injured wrist. That shouldn’t be surprising given his admission that his bone is still broken. The talented outfielder claims he isn’t frustrated with the pace of his recovery, but he is frustrated with his inability to help his teammates on the field.

It’s very likely the entire Yankees organization is also frustrated. The team simply hasn’t played very well since Judge went on the DL. His return isn’t going to fix everything plaguing Aaron Boone’s squad, but his ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark on a regular basis can cover up a lot of ills.

At the very least, Judge’s return can send Shane Robinson back to the bench. The veteran outfielder is a solid defender, but he is a very poor offensive player. Robinson isn’t an automatic out, but he’s pretty close.

Even so, no one in the Yankees organization can afford to rush Judge back before he’s fully healthy. Sluggers like him garner a lot of their power from their strong wrist action. Forcing him to come back to the team too soon could negatively impact his long-term career. The Yankees understand that Judge can anchor their lineup for the next decade. They won’t push to get him back at the tail end of this regular season.

Truthfully, the Yankees just need to make sure Judge is healthy when the playoffs roll around. The gap in the AL East is almost certainly too much for the team to overcome. Judge needs to play some baseball at the end of the regular season, but only enough to get him ready to perform in October.

As of now, Judge’s wrist is still broken and so is the Yankees’ offense. Everyone in the Bronx hopes that both things get fixed very soon. It’s impossible for the team to operate at maximum capacity without their best hitter in the lineup.