If you’re a Yankees fan and aren’t looking forward to hearing John Sterling scream “A Judgian Blast”, there’s the door, get the hell out.
Aaron Judge, the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year said on Tuesday that he feels “100%” ready to go after being sidelined with an oblique injury since late April. The Yankees’ slugger will reportedly play two full nine inning games down in Scranton Wilkes-Barre before heading back to the Bronx for the Yankees series with the Houston Astros.
I wouldn’t be in games if I wasn’t ready to go,” Judge said. “You know, nobody is hitting 1.000 in spring training,” he said. “I’m not really too worried about results right now, too. Even if I go 0-for-4 the next two days, it don’t matter. Just as long as I’m feeling comfortable in the box and feel like I’m recognizing pitches, we’re good.”
Though Aaron Judge said that he wasn’t worried about the results at the plate over the next two days, he didn’t waste any time Tuesday night at PNC Field, taking a fastball to the opposite way for a no-doubter, giving fans in Scranton something to admire.
The American League East is in for a reckoning if Aaron Judge is able to return to the bombers lineup by the weekend against Houston, as the Yankees will become fully healthy for the first time since the opening series in April against Baltimore, when they lost both Giancarlo Stanton (Biceps Strain) and Miguel Andujar (Labrum Tear) to the injured list.
It would only be the beginning for Aaron Boone’s team, however, as the Yankees roster would soon be depleted with injuries after that as Troy Tulowitzki, who got a chance to start on Opening Day with the injury to Didi Gregorius (Torn UCL), went down with a calf strain that took him off the active roster then, and possibly permanently with the return of Gregorius.
The bombers would then lose Gary Sanchez for a couple of weeks in April with a mild calf strain of his own, as New York was in desperation mode, already dealing with pre-season injuries with Aaron Hicks (Back), Luis Severino (Shoulder) and Dellin Betances (Shoulder/Lat). However, the Yankees still had their prized possession hitting second in their lineup, injury free, for a few brief weeks before a dark cloud hovered over Yankee Stadium on April 20 against Kansas City.
In the words of former WWE and current AEW Superstar, Chris Jericho, “You Just Made The List!”
With Judge’s injury back in April, fans in the Bronx began to point fingers at Steve Donahue and the Yankees training/conditioning staff, as never before in history has so many elite players gone down, in a number of days, like they did to begin the 2019 season. Things seemed to be going from “bad” to “worse” to “absolute worst case scenario”, however, to much surprise, the Yankees didn’t really skip a beat.
Currently sitting at 45-27, the Bronx bombers are first in the AL East with a two and a half game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays and have received major contributions from the likes of Gio Urshela, who currently sits in second in AL votes, behind Alex Bregman, for the MLB All-Star Game on July 9.
Cameron Maybin has made his presence felt as well, homering in each of his last four games, as well as hitting well over .300, as the former Detroit Tiger continues to fight for his roster spot in the coming days with No. 99 on his way back to 161st Street.
“We’re not at that point yet,” Aaron Boone said, after being questioned about Maybin’s future with the club following Monday’s 3-0 win over Tampa Bay. “He’s been a really good player and another guy that’s come in here, fit in, gelled, impacted the room. His performance speaks for itself between the lines in terms of what he’s brought: flexibility to play anywhere in the outfield, the speed he brings to the basepaths, the energy he plays the game with and brings to the dugout on a nightly basis.”
The Yankees’ skipper refused to give any insight on how the front office will manage this decision, as Maybin has made more tough each day, with the way he has handled the bat lately. Maybin connected for a Solo shot in Tuesday’s 6-3 win over the Rays, as he has now homered in four consecutive games.
Giancarlo Stanton made his return to the lineup for the first time since April 3, going 0-4 with two strikeouts in his first night back, hitting in the five spot in Aaron Boone’s lineup.
“It’s been a long time — it feels longer than it has been for me,” Stanton said, before the game.“I’m excited to be here. The boys have been fun to watch while I’ve been gone, so it’s going to be good to get back in there and battle with them.”
Edwin Encarnacion would get the opportunity take his parrot out for a stroll as well, launching his first homer in pinstripes over the “short porch” in right field, to add an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning. It didn’t take long for Yankees radio broadcaster, John Sterling, to come up with a call for the newest bomber either.
With back-to-back wins over Tampa Bay, the Yanks now look to sweep the Rays right out of the Bronx, and welcome in the Houston Astros for a potential playoff preview, as the Judge’s Chambers may get to bare witness to “The Judge” himself, and a fully healthy New York Yankees offense that could spell big trouble for the American League.
Aaron Judge says he’s “100%”, and come this weekend, so will the Yankees.
