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Acce s the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Aaron Judge was back in right field Friday night for the first time since he suffered a flexor strain in his right elbow July 25. The Yankees hope to have Judge there regularly as they enter the stretch run, but even they arent sure how its going to go. Prior to the series opener against the Blue Jays in The Bronx, Aaron Boone was asked if he would hold his breath the first few times Judge has to unleash it. Sure, at first, Boone said. Hes worked really hard to get to this point. Obviously, well pay very close attention to it [and] pay attention to his recovery. Yankees Aaron Judge (99) throws a ball in the outfield before a game against the Minnesota Twins. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect And Boone added Judge wont play the outfield all the time. I dont plan on going every day with him initially, the manager said. But hopefully he continues to build up and gets to that point. That means there will be more Giancarlo Stanton in the outfield, a plan that has gone as well as the Yankees could have hoped since his return to playing defense nearly a month ago. With Judge in right Friday, Stanton served Antonius Cleveland Jersey as the DH after three straight games in left field in Houston. Explore More Aaron Judge is pictured during the Yankees Sept. 5 game against the Blue Jays. Robert Sabo for the NY Post [Stanton] putting himself in the mix is, obviously, a big deal, Boone said. Its probably some kind of shared situation. Well see how Aaron responds from being in these games. As to whether Judge would have any restrictions on him in right, Boone said, Well see. The truth is, no one can say how this is going to go. Luis Rojas, who works with the outfielders and has been part of Judges rehab proce s, noted Judge never throws hard in his practice se sions, but that the Yankees were confident he knows his body and what hes able to do. Aaron Judge makes a throw during the Yankees Sept. 5 game against the Blue Jays. Robert Sabo for the NY Post Still, Rojas added, Hes a veteran player and knows himself pretty well. We always trust him. I dont know if were gonna have a 100-mph throw like weve seen in the past. But a guy like him, you trust him and he went through his progre sions. That included Judge making five throws from right field to home plate three to a cutoff man plus a pair of two-hoppers to the catcher prior to Thursdays game in Houston. CHECK OUT THE AND Austin Slater, who returned from a strained left hamstring Friday, suffered a similar elbow flexor strain in mid-August 2020 and was limited to DH duties for the remainder of the season with the Giants. Every guy is different, Slater said Friday of his 2020 injury, which prevented him from playing the field until spring training of the following season. Thats why there are broad timelines with that [injury]. You dont know how youre gonna respond to it and there are different i sues that can affect how quickly you come back. Aaron Judge runs onto the field at the start of the first inning of the Yankees game against the Blue Jays. AP Go beyond the box score with the Bombers Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+. Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Slater had his best season at the plate that year, so he said it didnt impact him offensively. Judges numbers have slipped since he returned from his injured list stint Aug. 5. He had an OPS of 1.160 prior to the injury and entered Friday with an .888 OPS after coming back. Some of that could be the natural ups and downs of the season, and Judge previously said the elbow didnt bother him while hitting. I hope it goes well and well continue to build up as we go, Boone said. Dorian Finney-Smith Jersey
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