Yankees' Aaron Judge responds to arm strength concerns after return to outfield

Matt Sullivan

•
Yankees' Aaron Judge responds to arm strength concerns after return to outfield image

After over a month, the New York Yankees finally saw their superstar slugger, Aaron Judge, return to the outfield. He had been dealing with an elbow issue for some time and had only been slotted into the lineup as the designated hitter since late July.

But against the Toronto Blue Jays, Judge returned to the outfield for the first time since getting injured in late July. It was a huge step in the right direction and was a boost of confidence heading into a huge series against the Blue Jays.

But after not making a throw home like he normally would, there were concerns over Judge's throwing ability. After the game, Gary Phillips of the NY Daily News shared comments from Judge on the first throw he made in right field.

Judge Responds to Questions About Arm Strength

When asked about what happened on the two-run single in the first inning, when Judge didn't make a throw home to try and throw out Dalton Varsho despite having the chance to do so, Judge spoke on his side of the story.

"Just dropped the ball in," Jude said. "Throw it into the cutoff man. It's a two-run single. What do you mean?"

Judge was then asked if he could make the throw, and he said, "I wouldn't be in the outfield if I wasn't able to make that throw."

But, he didn't make it despite having the chance to do so. When pressed on why he didn't make that throw, despite claiming he could, Judge's comments are revealing and concerning.

"My first thought was to get it into Jazz, get it into whoever, just for them to make that throw," Judge said. "Because my first thought was trying to make the play, and it just kind of died before it got to me. So my next thought is, 'Hey, try to get it in as soon as you can and see what happens.'"

MORE: Yankees make surprise Giancarlo Stanton decision 3 days after Aaron Boone said he wouldn’t do this

This comment from Judge reveals his thought process in the outfield, as he's immediately looking for the cutoff man instead of gearing up to fire it home. If he were fully healthy, it wouldn't be a question of where he's going with the ball.

But since his first thought is to find the cutoff man, it's clear his arm strength isn't back yet. With Judge playing right field, not at full strength, there is real concern he won't be able to make the throws needed to succeed in the field until he's back closer to 100 percent strength.

It's something to monitor as he continues to get starts in right field, as his arm strength will likely be tested by opposing teams whenever they get the chance. The Blue Jays already exposed his lack of arm strength, and Judge's comments don't instill confidence either.

MORE MLB NEWS:

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.