Aaron Judge is done waiting for a minor league tune-up. He wants to return to the Bronx without playing a single rehab game. This makes total sense for a player of his caliber. Why waste precious at-bats in the minors when the cage is right there? Judge is nearing the three-month mark on his rib fracture recovery, and his body feels ready. He told reporters, according to Yahoo Sports, “If I tell them I’m ready to go play, I think we’re ready to go play.” That confidence isn’t arrogance. It’s the voice of a veteran who knows his own limits better than anyone else.
The Logic Behind Skipping the Minors
Judge has a simple point: he is a hitter, not a pitcher. He needs to swing the bat, not pitch innings. He explained his view clearly. “I’m not a pitcher. I’m a position player. I can get my reps down here in the cage. I’m in every game.” Sitting in the dugout observing every match and sensing the atmosphere and energy leads me to believe the difference will be minimal. He has already missed 74 games since May 31. Every day he sits in a minor league dugout is a day lost for the team. Mark W. Sanchez reported that Judge is actively angling to skip the assignment altogether. The math is simple. More time in New York means more help for the lineup.
Boone Agrees With the Plan
Manager Aaron Boone is on the same page. He heard the same pitch from his star player. “He said that to me, too,” Boone said. The manager isn’t rushing to force a game just to check a box. He wants to see Judge feel good first. If the ribs hold up in practice, why force him into a low-stakes game?
This isn’t the first time the Yankees have bent the rules for Judge. In 2023, he bypassed a rehab stint after missing 42 contests due to a fractured toe. He returned straight to the big leagues and dominated. He also played in five minor league games back in 2019 for an oblique strain, but that was a different time in his career. Now he knows exactly what he needs. “I’ve been doing this for a while now, and I got a sense of what I need to do on the field and how to manage it,” he said, according to Yahoo Sports. The Yankees should trust him. He has the track record to back up his demand. Let him skip the minors and get back to where he belongs.
