The Yankees are still working on how to effectively utilize Aaron Judge in right field.
During his return to the field on Friday, Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a short, soft throw that helped him score two runs in the first inning. This kind of play might be something the Yankees need to adapt to for a while.
Before Saturday’s game, Aaron Boone noted that there were discussions about what to anticipate from Judge’s performance. “We’ve been working on various strategies these past few weeks,” he said. “If you’ve noticed, we’ve practiced creative cuts among other things. We aim to keep evolving and refining our approach.”
Essentially, Chisholm was expected to push further into right field, testing Judge’s arm with base runners advancing.
That specific play highlighted Judge’s challenging return to a position he hadn’t played since July 25 due to right elbow flexor tension.
Boone mentioned Judge would serve as the designated hitter on Saturday.
“It’s part of the plan,” Boone explained regarding Judge and Giancarlo Stanton as DH options for the lineup. “I’ll reassess after today before making decisions for Sunday.”
Despite this, the Yankees want to consistently place Judge in the field, even as Blue Jays manager John Schneider acknowledged the noticeable activity following Friday’s game where Daulton Varsho tried to score from second on two singles.
Boone added that the strategy from opposing teams won’t heavily influence how they deploy Judge defensively.
“It depends on how he’s feeling. We hope he continues to improve as we move along,” Boone said. “It’s a long process, and his presence brings significant value to the team.”
Yet, it’s clear Judge isn’t back to full strength, and the Yankees can’t predict when that might change.
“We understand there’s hope for a return to normalcy,” Boone acknowledged. “We’re learning through this process, aiming for steady improvements as he plays more regularly.”
The objective remains to have Judge in right field consistently.
“Absolutely,” Boone confirmed. “While we can’t foresee the future, it’s encouraging to see him getting back out there, especially since he’s shown visible improvement over the past month.”
