New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is, without a doubt, one of the most popular players in baseball.
That status has been well-earned: he broke onto the scene in 2017 with 52 home runs in his rookie year, established himself as the Yankees’ biggest star in subsequent seasons, and broke the American League record for most homers in a single season with 62 last year.
That performance earned him a nine-year, $360 million contract, and his popularity among fans earned him a starting gig in the upcoming 2023 MLB All-Star Game.
Judge has been named as a member of the AL starting lineup for the Midsummer Classic as an outfielder, alongside Mike Trout and Randy Arozarena.
Unfortunately, he won’t be participating in any of the festivities, including the game itself.
Aaron Judge is an All-Star for the fifth time, though he won’t be able to play in the game: https://t.co/4l8c1APpqe
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 30, 2023
That was confirmed by Yankees insider Bryan Hoch.
Judge has been on the injured list since early June.
On June 3 in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he suffered what was initially called a ligament sprain in his right big toe while making a catch in the outfield.
However, the player himself revealed not too long ago that the ligament was actually torn, not sprained.
That pushed his return back even further.
On Wednesday, he was spotted playing catch, one of many things he will need to do before even thinking about a return.
People on the Yanks have expressed optimism that he will be back this season.
He has been amazing, as expected, when healthy with a .291 batting average, 19 home runs, 40 runs, and 42 RBI.
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