Yankees need to protect Aaron Judge from himself
It’s nice that Aaron Judge is willing to play hurt, but the Yankees need to make sure their slugger doesn’t come back before he’s 100 percent healthy.
There’s no question the Yankees could really benefit from having Aaron Judge back in the lineup. Aaron Boone has done a good job keeping the team afloat without their most dangerous hitter, but the team’s luck will run out eventually.
The organization still needs to make sure Judge doesn’t try to come back too soon.
Given Judge’s recent comments, there’s a serious risk of that occurring. The talented outfielder recently told the media he plans to come back as soon as the pain in his wrist subsides. That means that he is willing to return to the diamond before his wrist is fully healed.
His argument is that since no surgery is needed, it’s entirely an issue of pain tolerance. That sounds great, but it’s not a school of thought the Yankees organization should accept.
In some ways, it’s a player’s job to push himself to return as soon as possible. When you watch Judge in the dugout, it’s clear that not being out there to help his teammates absolutely kills him. He’s a very competitive guy who wants to help his team catch the Red Sox for the AL East crown.
By the same token, it’s the job of Brian Cashman and the team’s front office to slow him down. It’s easier for the front office to view Judge’s injury in a more objective manner.
They want to win a World Series in 2018 too, but it’s their responsibility to get the team competitive for years to come. Making sure that Judge doesn’t cause his body permanent damage by returning too early is key to the Yankees ability to contend for the next decade.
The challenge for the front office will be convincing Judge that being patient is in his best interest. Forcing him to sit out against his will could have a negative impact with the team’s ability to keep him as a Yankee for life.
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Ultimately, the only thing that should matter to the Yankees is getting Judge’s wrist injury fully behind him. Ideally, that could happen soon enough to get him into the lineup for the playoffs.
Regular season baseball is largely irrelevant for Judge at the moment. Rushing him back anytime in September could prove disastrous for the franchise.