Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees suffered a serious toe injury after colliding with the concrete base of Dodger Stadium’s center field wall during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers last season.
Judge suffered a ruptured ligament in his right big toe while making an amazing catch at the wall in June, resulting in a nearly two-month stint on the Injured List.
Judge told reporters on Tuesday that his toe is feeling fine, but that the injury will require “constant maintenance” for the rest of his career to avoid potential flare-ups, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News.
Judge returned to New York in late July after hitting the IL in June. He did not have surgery at the time, and Boone later stated in September that the Yankees’ top outfielder would forgo offseason surgery as well.
Despite the fact that he did not have a procedure during the summer, Judge stated on Tuesday that he will have to be cautious with his right big toe moving ahead.
The 31-year-old is entering his ninth season in Major League Baseball, and he’ll be hoping to avoid a stint on the injured list after missing 56 games in 2023. Last year, he made his third consecutive All-Star Game and fifth overall, hitting 37 home runs and posting a 1.019 OPS.
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Fans Get First Look at New York Yankees Superstar Juan Soto’s Batting Practice
After arriving at Spring Training on Monday, outfielder Juan Soto took the field in New York Yankees clothing for the first time on Tuesday.
Several recordings of Soto’s batting practice session went viral on social media, as it was fans’ first chance to see the superstar in his new uniform. The San Diego Padres traded Soto to the Yankees in December, only 16 months after acquiring him in a separate blockbuster deal with the Washington Nationals.
Soto will earn a record-breaking $31.5 million this season, after he and the Yankees agreed on the largest compensation ever paid to an arbitration-eligible player. Although New York has yet to extend one of its new franchise cornerstones, the 25-year-old is undoubtedly attracting a lot of attention from Yankees fans who traveled to Tampa.
Soto also demonstrated his famous shuffle, getting low and shifting back and forth after taking a pitch during live batting practice. Given that Soto has led baseball with 412 walks over the last three seasons, Yankees fans should get used to this strategy.
In 2023, Soto hit.275 with 35 home runs, 109 RBI, 12 stolen bases,.930 OPS, and 5.5 WAR for the Padres. Despite his young age, Soto has already accumulated 768 hits, 160 home runs, 483 RBI, 50 stolen bases, and a 28.6 WAR in his career while batting.284 with a.946 OPS.
Soto is presently projected by FanGraphs’ ZiPS model to end 2024 with 33 home runs, 103 RBI, 11 stolen bases, a.275 batting average,.937 OPS, and 5.8 WAR.
Soto might get his first in-game action Saturday, when the Yankees face the Detroit Tigers in their Spring Training opener. The New York Yankees’ regular season opener is scheduled for March 28 on the road against the Houston Astros.
