NEW YORK — When the Yankees return from the All-Star break, suiting up in Colorado on Friday, the first question of manager Aaron Boone’s pregame presser should be about Aaron Judge.
It’s been almost six weeks since Judge bashed his right foot into the slab of concrete at the base of the right-field fence at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and the Yankees still haven’t provided an injury timetable for their superstar slugger.
Judge’s timeline is the biggest question mark of the second half.
If Judge can return in July from his right big toe sprain, he’ll have more time to find a rhythm leading up to the postseason, helping this team win games, climb back into the postseason picture and establish some footing, pun intended.
If not, barring changes and slumpers stepping up, the Yankees can only hope that they’re able to sneak into the playoffs, leaning on a new hitting coach and an elite pitching staff.
Judge resumed baseball activities before the break, incorporating some light hitting with his throwing program. Progress is a good thing, but his return from the injured list is still a ways away until he can start facing live pitching, testing his back foot with explosive swings.
As we wait for more details on Judge’s status, here are a few more burning questions that the Yankees need to answer as the second half gets underway.
What’s next in left field?
To say the Yankees’ plan to use Oswaldo Cabrera and Aaron Hicks in left field didn’t work would be a comical understatement.
Hicks didn’t last two months, designated for assignment and picked up by the Orioles in late May. Cabrera has been one of the worst players in baseball. He shouldn’t be on the big-league roster right now — needing time in Triple-A to figure out his swing — but injuries have forced the Yankees to keep him in pinstripes.
The next wave of depth has done a serviceable job in left (and right with Judge out), but doesn’t appear to be good enough to get this team where they want…
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