Yankees Manager Aaron Boone Confirms: Aaron Judge Won't Need Surgery

The New York Yankees will continue to have their star slugger Aaron for the season as they are hoping to qualify for the MLB playoffs.

No other than Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed the news for the team in an appearance on the Talkin' Yanks podcast.

The reigning American League MVP previously injured his right big toe in a June 3 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers after crashing against the concrete at the base of the right-field fence of Dodger Stadium while performing a leaping catch. The Yankees lost the game in Los Angeles, 8-4.

Judge missed 42 games this season due to a torn ligament on his toe caused by the incident.

Judge returned to the lineup almost three weeks ago, on July 28, during a game against the Baltimore Orioles, where they lost 1-0.

The toe injury did not bother the two-time All-MLB First Team member, as he is slashing .260/.456/.460 with three home runs and five RBIs in 16 games since returning from the injured list.

"It's feeling all right, feeling good," he said. "It's not 100%. I don't think it'll be 100% until the end of the year. I think our biggest goal is just getting to a point where I could play, I could tolerate it," Judge said following the game against Baltimore.

There was speculation that the five-time MLB All-Star may need surgery for the toe injury in the upcoming offseason, but the Yankees' manager's remarks confirmed that Judge is good to go.

Injuries have held back Aaron Judge following historic season

Following a monster season last year, where he set the American League single-season record for most home runs with 62, injuries have kept the three-time Silver Slugger Award recipient from repeating the feat.

Judge spent ten games on the injured list earlier this season in May with a hip strain. The Yankees went 4-6 in that span.

The 31-year-old has a batting average of .284 with 22 home runs and 45 RBIs in 65 games in the 2023 MLB season.

However, the Yankees currently have a win-loss record of 60-59, which is 5.5 games behind the final Wild Card spot in the American League. They are on track to miss the MLB playoffs for the first time since 2016.

However, the future looks bright for New York, especially for 2024, as Judge and star pitcher Gerrit Cole are both secured in multi-year lucrative contracts, which makes them championship contenders for the foreseeable future.

The Yankees are set to face the team with the current best record in the MLB, the Atlanta Braves, who are 76-42, on Tuesday night.

New York is looking to get back on track after dropping four of their last five games.