Yankees' Aaron Boone shares encouraging Aaron Judge outfield update

Matt Sullivan

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Yankees' Aaron Boone shares encouraging Aaron Judge outfield update image

The New York Yankees have missed having Aaron Judge in the field, though he's still producing a high level of offense at the designated hitter spot. A huge reason why this set-up has managed to work is Giancarlo Stanton getting playing time in right field.

But ideally, Judge would be back in the outfield, and Stanton would slide back to being the designated hitter. After missing some time in July and August with a right flexor strain, Judge has yet to return to the outfield.

Fortunately, as Gary Phillips of the NY Daily News Sports reports, according to a recent quote from Yankees manager Aaron Boone, Judge could return to the outfield soon.

Judge Could Return to the Outfield Soon

"We absolutely feel like he's gonna be back out there," Aaron Boone said. "I know I keep saying it's soon, and I wholeheartedly feel that way right now, sitting here. I just don't know that day yet. That day is probably just gonna (pop up) out of the blue a little bit."

While the specific date isn't planned or even known by Boone, he does anticipate a return to the outfield soon for Judge. While the Yankees superstar won't be at 100 percent when he steps into the outfield, having him out there will be a positive step for the team.

While Stanton hasn't been a complete disaster in the outfield, he has been a negative fielder. Judge, even if he's not at 100 percent yet, is still an above-average fielder and would be a nice way to further strengthen the Yankees' chances this October.

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Judge is one of the MVP favorites at the plate, and returning to the outfield and playing solid defense like he did before the injury could further help him beat out Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in the American League MVP race.

So far in 2025, Judge has had a .325 batting average with 43 home runs, 97 RBIs, 28 doubles, two triples, and an OPS of 1.113 through 128 games played and 465 at-bats.

It's been another incredible year for Judge, as he's putting together a sure-fire Hall of Fame career. The 33-year-old is one of baseball's best hitters, and if he could return to the outfield soon, his value would only increase amid a push to surpass the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East.

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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.