Last Updated on June 25, 2023 by Inna Zeyger

NEW YORK (AP) — On Saturday, Aaron Judge dropped a bombshell when he told that he had a torn ligament in his right big toe, implying that he is not yet prepared to start baseball. However, the Yankees slugger also commented on his plan to resume practice and commence baseball-related exercises over the weekend.

On June 3, Aaron Judge sustained an injury during a collision with the right-field wall at Dodger Stadium while making a catch on J.D. Martinez. The nature of the injury, which is uncommon in the realm of baseball, poses challenges for Judge in terms of gauging his recovery and estimating his progress.

Aaron Judge to resume practice

Earlier Aaron Boone, the Yankees manager, had informed the possibility of Aaron Judge joining practice sessions toward the conclusion of the weekend. While talking about the nature of his injury for the first time, the AL MVP corroborated that.

“It’s something I mentioned to the training staff: I want to test it out a little bit,” AP quoted him saying. “Maybe play catch, maybe take some dry swings. I just kind of see where it’s at.”

On Wednesday, Aaron Judge engaged in rehabilitation exercises within a pool and had aspirations of advancing to throwing and light hitting. The power hitter expressed his desire to assess the condition of his injury by engaging in some activities such as playing catch and taking dry swings. He mentioned discussing this with the training staff and expressed the need to test it out to see how his toe responds and determine its current status.

Aaron Judge explained that the current phase of his recovery doesn’t involve extensive running or engaging in rigorous baseball activities on the field. Instead, he described it as a more passive approach where they have been focusing on various treatments and making notable progress. He expressed the intention to transition towards testing the specific movements and actions he will be performing on the field to evaluate his readiness for a return.

“I really wouldn’t say it’s me running on the field and/or doing a lot of baseball activity. It’s more me being passive saying, ‘We’ve done a lot of stuff in here. We’re making some great progress. Let’s test with what I’m going to be actually doing on the field.'”

Ligament injury threatens Aaron Judge’s season

However, Aaron Judge acknowledged the rarity of his toe ligament tear, stating before Saturday’s game against Texas that not many individuals have encountered a similar injury. He highlighted the challenge of providing a precise timeline for recovery, comparing it to more common injuries like a quad, oblique, or hamstring, for which there are established timelines. Considering the uniqueness of his injury and its impact on his ability to push off and run off his back foot, Aaron Judge recognized the difficulty of his current situation.

The Yankees have remained tight-lipped about the potential timeline for Judge’s return, offering no indication or hint regarding when he might be back in action.

Aaron Judge expressed his reluctance to provide any specific timeline for his return, stating that it was unnecessary at the moment. He emphasized the importance of focusing on his recovery and improvement and indicated that he could only tell the timeframe once he was able to make significant progress.

How severe is the torn ligament?

The severity of a toe ligament tear is beyond a Grade 1 turf toe, which is typically associated with stretching or spraining the big toe. Aaron Judge’s injury is more likely to fall within the range of Grade 2 or Grade 3 turf toe, as per the classification by the Cleveland Clinic. Grade 2 refers to a partial tear of the soft tissue complex and may take two months to recover. Grade 3 indicates a more substantial tear and it may need up to six months.

If the Yankee slugger has a Grade 2 torn ligament in his toe, he would be unable to participate until August.

Last season, Aaron Judge achieved a remarkable feat by setting an American League record with 62 home runs. In the current season, he has maintained a solid batting average of .291 while delivering 19 home runs and 40 RBIs. This year marks the beginning of his nine-year, $360 million contract, which he signed during the offseason.

Since Aaron Judge landed on the injured list, the New York Yankees have struggled, recording a 10-16 record. Even after his return, the team has faced challenges, going 6-10 during that period. Prior to his injury, the Yankees boasted an impressive 31-19 record. It’s worth noting that Judge had previously missed 10 games earlier in the season due to a right hip strain.

Boone acknowledged Aaron Judge’s absence and expressed the team’s focus on getting him fully recovered and back in action as soon as possible. However, he emphasized that there is no specific timeline for his return. The current reality is that the team is without Aaron Judge, and they must find ways to succeed despite his absence.

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