The New York Yankees are chasing October with a cloud of uncertainty surrounding their captain, Aaron Judge. While Judge’s bat remains a lifeline, his right arm is another story entirely. And according to Joel Sherman from the New York Post, the organization’s refusal to be honest about the situation is not just frustrating—it’s downright insulting.
The Judge Problem the Yankees Won’t Admit
On Saturday, the Yankees beat the Blue Jays thanks to Cody Bellinger’s cannon throw from right field. That single play underscored what everyone can see: Judge isn’t capable of making that throw right now. He may be back on the field, but he’s not the Judge fans have known for nearly a decade.
As Sherman puts it, when Nathan Lukes blooped a single to right in Friday’s opener, Judge picked it up and lobbed the ball barely 75 feet to Jazz Chisholm Jr. Daulton Varsho scored easily. Pre-injury, Judge would’ve at least tried to gun him down at the plate. Instead, fans were left watching their supposed “100 percent” star make a play that screamed the opposite.
Yet the Yankees insist everything is fine. Judge himself claims he wouldn’t be out there if he weren’t fully healthy, but actions don’t lie. Fans have watched him throw, they’ve seen the hesitation, and they remember what a real Judge throw looks like.
The bigger issue? The Yankees are treating their fan base like it’s blind and forgetful. The team has grown comfortable spinning “cover stories” instead of providing straightforward answers. It’s a pattern that has been in place for years.
This is not the first time the Yankees have played games with Judge’s health. When he fractured his wrist in 2018, the team floated a three-week recovery timeline. Judge ended up missing seven. Nobody questioned his toughness or desire to return, but the misleading updates turned an unfortunate injury into an unnecessary soap opera.
Fast-forward to 2025, and the cycle continues. Judge suffered what the team labeled a “right elbow flexor strain” in late July, and the Yankees essentially locked the doors on information. Manager Aaron Boone has looked visibly uncomfortable when discussing his star, caught between Judge’s own insistence that he’s fine and his earlier admission that he didn’t expect Judge to throw at full strength again this year. That contradiction has bred confusion, tension, and even distrust. Fans don’t just want Judge in the lineup; they want to know what version of Judge they’re actually getting. Pretending he’s fully operational when he’s clearly not is not just disingenuous, it’s harmful.
The Yankees’ philosophy has long been to downplay, misdirect, or outright obscure injury updates. That may protect the player’s pride in the short term, but it leaves the fan base—millions who live and breathe this team—shut out from reality. The irony is that transparency would serve everyone better. Admitting Judge isn’t there yet would temper expectations and let fans root for his progress instead of questioning his every move. Instead, the Yankees are doubling down on spin, creating even more stress for Judge, Boone, and the clubhouse.
Playing the Long Game or Playing with Fire?
Boone finally admitted on Saturday that the Yankees are “playing the long game” with Judge’s throwing arm. That’s a sensible approach—if the team actually stuck to it. But coupling that message with Judge’s public insistence he’s at “100 percent” leaves the Yankees looking dishonest at best and incompetent at worst.
This organization can’t afford to be sloppy. They trail the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East and need every ounce of Judge’s value on both sides of the ball. More importantly, they need to rebuild trust with a fan base that feels lied to far too often.
Medicine isn’t precise, and recovery timelines can shift. But honesty isn’t negotiable. Right now, the Yankees are asking their fans to believe in a version of Aaron Judge that doesn’t exist. And as one insider put it, that’s not just unfair—it’s delusional.
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