Aaron Judge is confident that the discomfort in his abdomen, which kept him out of action this week, won’t prevent him from participating in the New York Yankees’ March 28 opener against the Houston Astros.
The 31-year-old outfielder revealed that he began feeling discomfort during the follow-through of his swing about a week ago. His last appearance was on Sunday, where he struck out twice. However, Judge anticipates resuming his batting practice this week after undergoing an MRI on Monday, which yielded positive results.
“We ran tests. Everything comes back good,” Judge stated on Tuesday. “A little banged up. The most important thing is opening day, and I rather take some days now and be smart about it.”
Judge endured a setback last season when he missed 42 games due to a torn ligament in his right big toe, an injury sustained in June. Despite starting his off-season hitting regimen in November, the continuous swinging might have contributed to his current discomfort.
“I think just from swinging from November until now every single day kind of gets some wear and tear on it,” Judge explained. “And especially coming back after a toe injury when you’re trying to, you know, mechanics are a little messed up and you’re just working on something. So I think it’s just part of being a baseball player every day.”
Meanwhile, in the Yankees’ camp, manager Aaron Boone disclosed that although they were awaiting test results on Gerrit Cole’s right elbow, it’s unlikely that the AL Cy Young Award winner will have enough time to prepare for the opener.
On another note, Tampa Bay Rays’ right-hander Taj Bradley was pulled from a scheduled start due to pectoral tightness during warm-ups and subsequently sent for an MRI. The Rays were counting on the 22-year-old Bradley to secure a spot in their starting rotation.
Manager Kevin Cash expressed optimism that the injury was detected early, and further updates are expected the following day. Bradley had thrown over 50 pitches in his only start of this spring training.
