Yankees' Aaron Boone defends Aaron Judge's arm strength amid return to right field

Matt Sullivan

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Yankees' Aaron Boone defends Aaron Judge's arm strength amid return to right field image

The New York Yankees have been without Aaron Judge in right field for a portion of the 2025 season, and for the first time in a while, Judge was finally back out in right field for New York in the series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays.

It's a big series, with the Yankees sitting behind the Blue Jays for the AL East. Getting Judge back in the outfield should be a good sign for the team, as it'd normally indicate Judge is healthy and ready to be a full contributor defensively.

But, after not throwing the ball home to cut down a baserunner like he'd do before, there were concerns over his throwing ability. After the game, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic asked Yankees manager Aaron Boone about Judge's no-throw. Boone's response to the question was a concerning one for Judge's fielding ability amid his return to the outfield.

Aaron Boone Comes to Aaron Judge's Defense Over No-Throw From Right Field

Kirschner asked Boone about why, in the first inning, Judge did not attempt a throw home to try and cut down Daulton Varsho of the Blue Jays from scoring. Boone's ensuing comments, and back and forth with Kirschner, were revealing.

"He just got to it and he scored," Boone said.

"So," Kirschner questioned, "is he not able to make that throw?"

"He's in position to make the throw," Boone responded.

"So, why didn't he?" Kirschner asked.

"We're handling it how we handle it, okay?" Boone stated.

This back-and-forth is a concerning one for Judge's throwing ability in right field. If he were at full strength, he would've been able to throw the ball home and stop Varsho from scoring.

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Instead, he scored easily, since Judge couldn't make the throw home in time, since he's still recovering from his elbow injury, which has kept him as the team's designated hitter since the beginning of August.

Boone getting defensive over Judge's fielding ability is not a good sign for Judge. If he can't make those throws, then the Yankees will see baserunners be more aggressive on the basepaths when balls are hit to Judge in right field.

Varsho already benefited from the Judge's lack of full strength, and while the Yankees lost 7-1, that lone run wasn't the sole reason for the Blue Jays' win; it did make it apparent that Judge isn't at full strength yet.

This is a concerning development for the Yankees, as having a defensive liability in the field in a player who can't make strong throws to cut down baserunners will lead to the team taking extra bases on the Yankees on balls hit to right field.

While Judge could still get back to more strength by the postseason, for now, the Yankees need to reevaluate how they deploy Judge, since, based on his lack of throw in the first inning, he's not at full strength yet.

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Matt Sullivan

Matt Sullivan is a freelance writer for The Sporting News, predominantly covering MLB. Matt is a native of Pennsylvania and has worked with Athlon Sports, Last Word on Sports, and other outlets.