Yankees Update on Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe

Last season, the Yankees nearly clinched the American League East with a 94-win record, largely despite missing their ace, Gerrit Cole. Instead, it was Aaron Judge’s elbow flexor strain, which he sustained in late July, that almost derailed the team’s plans for 2025.

The news from Yankees manager Aaron Boone on Wednesday was rather uplifting. He mentioned Judge is “doing very well” in his throwing program as he gears up for the World Baseball Classic with Team USA. This information might just be the most critical takeaway from the recent Zoom call with Yankees executives.

Boone stated, “He’s WBC ready, so we’ve beefed up his throwing program a little bit more. From a throwing standpoint, he’s more ahead of the game than usual… He feels ready to go to camp right away.”

When asked if he worried about Judge’s readiness, Boone replied confidently, saying, “No, he looks great.”

The Yankees are well aware of how impactful Judge’s injuries can be. His toe injury during the 2023 season led him to miss the postseason for the first time in his career. Last season, Judge returned after a brief stint on the injured list but struggled to play right field consistently until mid-September. Yet, he remained crucial for the team during the rest of the season, including in the playoffs.

General Manager Brian Cashman provided an update on Anthony Volpe as well, sharing that his rehabilitation from a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder is “going well,” although he refrained from giving a timeline for the shortstop’s return.

Earlier in the offseason, Cashman mentioned that Volpe could start hitting around mid-February and return by possibly April or May. Until then, he forecasted that Jose Caballero would step in at shortstop.

Cashman added, “He’s here [in Tampa] working hard with a smile on his face. We look forward to having him come back to us as shortstop at some point, sooner rather than later.”

Whenever Volpe does make his return, there’s bound to be scrutiny. Last season, he had a disappointing performance at the plate, which was, in part, due to the shoulder injury he’d first sustained in May. Additionally, despite winning a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2024, there has been a noticeable decline in his defensive skills.

Meanwhile, Cody Bellinger expressed interest in playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, but he won’t be participating this year since he recently became a free agent.