Yankees GM Brian Cashman poured ice-cold water on the idea that Aaron Judge will be back shortly after the end of the All-Star break.
One day, the Yankees will see Aaron Judge return to the lineup. That day is certainly not today. And it's probably not particularly soon either.
Hopeful rumors emerged that Judge would get back in the lineup shortly after the All-Star break. However, general manager Brian Cashman shot them down, along with Yankees fans' hopes of this saga ending soon.
Laura Albanese of Newsday delivered the news from Cashman on Twitter, revealing that there is no timetable for Judge's return yet.
At best, the Yankees can say he'll be back in the second half of the season.
Said second half begins on Friday as the Yankees face the Rockies in a weekend series in Denver. Judge almost certainly won't take part as he still has to clear hurdles including running the bases and appearing in rehab games. He told reporters before the All-Star game that he had started doing some light hitting and playing catch.
So we can rule him out for the near future.
Aaron Judge injury update: Yankees still without answers on star
This injury saga has gone on for more than a month with very little clarity from the Yankees about when the reigning AL MVP would return to the lineup.
Judge ran into the bullpen fence at Dodger Stadium on June 3, banging his foot against the concrete step below. While the team downplayed the injury initially, it was later revealed that the outfielder tore a ligament in his toe.
Without Judge, the Yankees' offense has become laughable. Hitting coach Dillon Larson was fired and replaced by Sean Casey in a bid to turn things around. The easiest way to give the offense a boost would be to get Judge back in the lineup. But that's down to the toe.
