NEW YORK — After a recent injection of platelet-rich plasma into his right thumb, Aaron Judge feels “a little better,” manager Aaron Boone said, adding that he’s hopeful you’ll start making real progress soon.
There is no estimated date yet for Judge’s return to the lineup. Took a big catch June 3 in Los Angeles and injured the finger, which at the time was reported as a concussion and sprain. He received a PRP injection on June 6 and then another injection on June 15 for a second tendon treatment.
“I’m encouraged by what we’re seeing and my conversations with him,” Boone said Tuesday. “He’s been improving a little bit and is capable of doing a lot of things. I hope this is the start of his real improvement.”
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Judge is dealing with a “unique injury.” Principal owner Hal Steinbrenner recently compared it to the so-called “artificial turf toe,” which is more common in football than baseball in general.
“Ultimately, the most important thing we have to do is make sure he’s healed when we start throwing him freely,” Cashman said. “Because he’s not 100 percent ready to play, we don’t want this to bother us any time soon.”
The Yankees have lost 8 of 12 games since Judge hit the bullpen fence at Dodger Stadium.
During the time the Yankees gathered information from doctors and experts and then sent it to Judge, Cashman said the GM felt the need to caution against an optimistic schedule, saying “it could be long.”
“We have to be very careful with this because he’s a very dedicated athlete,” Cashman added. “He wants to be out there fighting for his team and fighting for our fans. That’s where mistakes can happen. You have to protect the player from him. He wants to go out as early as possible in practice, but he has to be smart and we have to be smart.
“I don’t know anything about the timeline. All I know is that he’s recovering and recovering, hence the second PRP injection. These are all encouraging signs, but we’re not in a position to speculate on the timetable yet.”
Judge has accompanied the Yankees on recent road trips during which he has been receiving treatment, but has not participated in baseball activities.
“He’s able to do more on his toes from a balance standpoint and he’s starting to get up on his toes,” Boone said. “A lot of the swelling and stuff has already gone out, so it feels like it’s starting to come back.
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