When is Aaron Judge coming back? Toe ligament tear may threaten Yankees star’s 2023 season
Aaron Judge has been missing from the Yankees roster since suffering a toe injury on June 3 and it seems he won’t be returning anytime soon.
The Associated Press reported Saturday that Judge tore a ligament in his right big toe after hitting the right side of the field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
“I don’t think too many people get torn ligaments in their toes,” Judge said, according to the AP. “If it were quadriceps, (then) we would have a better answer. If it’s an oblique or hamstring, we have schedules for it. Given the uniqueness of this injury and the fact that it’s my back foot that I push off and run away, it’s a difficult situation.
Judge built on his sensational 2022 season for another stellar season in 2023 by cutting .291/.404/.674 with 19 homers in just 49 games, hitting 63 homers in a 162-game season. He advanced to the second phase of All-Star Game voting as the leading voter in the American League outfield.
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Without the reigning AL MVP in the lineup, the Bronx Bombers have a 6-10 record and averaged 3.2 runs per game while averaging the league’s worst 62 WRC+ (weighted runs plus) over that span. Even so, they remain third in the AL East, despite falling from six games first to 10.5 behind the division-leading Rays.
Here’s what you need to know about Judge’s injury and when he could return.
When is Aaron Judge coming back?
As Judge mentioned, he doesn’t know when he can return as the injury is rare. Yankees manager Aaron Boone is optimistic his star will be back in 2023, but he has made no guarantees.
“That is absolute. I can’t say that about anyone,” Boone said on June 24. According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
“The reality is we’re without him right now and need to find a way to make it work,” Boone added, according to the AP. “We’ve got the people in there to do it, we just have to do a better job now and put pressure on opposing pitchers and defense.”
The judge has suggested that baseball activities resume soon, although that shouldn’t be taken as a sign of an imminent return. According to the AP, he completed rehab work in a pool on June 21 and hopes to be able to catch or swing a racquet in the near future.
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“I mentioned that to the training staff: I want to test it out a bit,” Judge said, according to the AP. “Maybe play catch, maybe do some dry swings. I just see where to go.”
“I really wouldn’t say if I run on the field and/or play a lot of baseball, it’s my fault. It’s more about me being passive and saying, ‘We’ve done a lot here. We’re making great progress.’ Let’s test what I’ll actually do on the pitch.’”
Recovery time after toe ligament tear
A toe ligament tear of the magnitude described by the AP would be more than just a Grade 1 turf toe, which is a strain or sprain of the big toe. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it could be closer to the Class 2 or 3 turf top; Then the soft-tissue complex partially tears (Grade 2) or is more completely torn (Grade 3).
According to Mass General Brigham, a grade 3 turf toe injury could take two to six months for Judge to recover, depending on whether surgery is needed. Two months would put Judge out of action until August, while any other schedule would jeopardize the remainder of his campaign in 2023.