Even after the Yankees were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday, Aaron Judge stated his commitment to play for the rest of the season.
The Yankees captain hasn’t been at full strength since returning from a ruptured ligament in his big right toe at the end of July, but he said again on Sunday that he expects to play until the season’s final week.
After the Yankees lost 7-1 to the Diamondbacks in The Bronx, Judge remarked, “I plan on being out there.” Despite rumors to the contrary, I have to go public. A leader on our squad, especially with these young people we had coming up, must demonstrate the importance of posting even when unwell. You have to give it your all every day for the sake of your team.
“So yeah, I’ll be out there,” he said.Since his comeback, the reigning AL MVP has started 50 of the Yankees’ 55 games and has gradually looked healthier.
The Yankees activated Judge from the IL on July 28 after determining he posed no immediate dаnger to himself by continuing to play through a toe ailment that might not entirely heal until the offseason.
Judge, who is batting.433/1.508 in his previous nine games, does not want to begin that offseason until the Monday following the conclusion of the regular season.
Manager Aaron Boone would not rule out the possibility of making lineup changes in the last seven games after the Yankees were eliminated.
“But again, we got a week to go, and we want to play well,” Boone added. On Monday, the Diamondbacks will be in contention for the postseason, as will Toronto, who will go to Arizona. It’s crucial to keep that in mind while prioritizing the safety of our guys above all else. But we also want to put up our best effort in this last week and strive to finish on a high note.