Aaron Judge injury: Yankees outfielder still without return estimate as big toe pain continues

New York Yankees star outfielder Aaron Judge, who has been sidelined since early June, injured his right big toe after colliding with the bullpen fence at Dodger Stadium. Although he received a platelet-rich plasma injection on Thursday, the Yankees still have no timeline on when they want him to rejoin the lineup, According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

“I think it’s an opportunity,” manager Aaron Boone told reporters Friday (including hoch) on the possibility of Judge returning before the All-Star break. “That said, I don’t know. I mean, I think he might be back in a week. He might be back in four days. I don’t know.”

The 2023 All-Star Game is scheduled for Tuesday, July 11 in Seattle.

Judge, 31, has played in just 49 of the Yankees’ first 69 games due to injury. In those games, he hit .291/.404/.674 (192 OPS+) with 19 home runs and 40 runs scored. For those wondering, he’s averaging 11.2 home runs per game — or, roughly the same rate as last year, when he broke the American League and Yankees single-season home run records.

The Yankees are 30-19 this season when Judge is on the floor. They enter Friday’s series against the Boston Red Sox with a 39-30 overall record, meaning they’re 9-11 without the defending AL MVP award winner. With Harrison Budd also sidelined with injury, the Yankees had to turn to the outfield, which included Jack Bowles, Billy McKinney, Willie Calhoun and Isiah Kinner-Farley combination of laws.

After reaching free agency, Judge re-signed with the Yankees last offseason, returning on a nine-year deal worth $360 million.