Yankees slugger Aaron Judge reveals he has torn ligament in toe, says he’s still in pain

We finally learned the true nature of Aaron Judge’s toe injury.

The Yankees superstar slugger told reporters ahead of Saturday afternoon’s game against the Texas Rangers that he has more than just a sprain, he has a torn ligament in his big right toe.

He said he is still dealing with pain when he walks. The news comes two days after the Yankees had said Judge could possibly start baseball activities this weekend.

Judge, who was officially placed on the injured list on June 7 (retroactive to June 4), hurt his toe when he made a highlight reel catch on J.D. Martinez on June 3 against the Dodgers in Los Angeles and crashed through the portion of the outfield fence that doubled as the door to the Yankees’ bullpen.

“I’m not giving you any timeline,” Judge told reporters at the Stadium. “There’s no need. I’ve just got to get better and then I’ll be out there.”

Manager Aaron Boone said he expects the outfielder to return but was cautious when asked if he could guarantee he will be penciling his name into the lineup this season saying “that’s an absolute. I can’t say that about anyone.”

The Yankees desperately miss Judge’s presence in the lineup. He was hitting .291/.404/.674 with 19 home runs and 40 RBI in his first 49 games for the Bombers.

“I don’t think too many people have torn a ligament in their toe,” Judge said. “If it was a quad we’d have a better answer. If it’s an oblique or hamstring we got timelines for that. With how unique this injury is and it being my back foot which I push off of and run off of, it’s a tough spot.”

A little over a week ago Judge received a second PRP injection on the ailing toe.

Judge, who did rehab work in a pool on Wednesday, said the next step is “maybe play catch, maybe take some dry swings.”

Judge cashed in on his record-breaking ‘22 campaign in which he broke Roger Maris’ American League home run record with 62 and was named the AL MVP when he signed a nine-year, $360 million contract in December. Later that month, Judge was named the 16th captain in the storied history of the franchise and first since Derek Jeter retired.

The Yankees (41-35) are a much different team when their biggest threat is sidelined by injury. Entering Saturday’s game, the Bombers are 10-16 this season without Judge and have put forth the league’s worst offense in his absence.

Their batting average (.193), on-base percentage (.254) and runs scored (60) all rank dead last in baseball during the month of June. While the club wasn’t exactly tearing the cover off of the ball with their captain in the lineup, their .240 team average and .312 on-base percentage in the 49 games with Judge is significantly better than the output without him.

This is Judge’s second stint on the IL this season. He missed 10 games at the beginning of May after suffering a right hip strain trying to steal third base in a game against the Minnesota Twins on April 26.

With their big bopper out of the lineup, the Yanks have had to place some extra reliance on their veterans who have not answered the call. Giancarlo Stanton (.082/.167/.163), DJ LeMahieu (.154/.175/.282), Josh Donaldson (.100/.196/.325) and Anthony Rizzo (.179/.303/.232) have all struggled in Judge’s absence.

It remains to be seen just how long No. 99 will be on the shelf, but their playoff chances may depend on a swift return. Entering Saturday’s game against the Rangers, the Bombers are tied for the third Wild Card spot in the American League hanging on by a thread with the Angels and Blue Jays just a half-game behind them.

The club figures to get some reinforcements back in the coming days with prized offseason addition Carlos Rodon (forearm/shoulder) scheduled to make his second of three rehab starts Sunday with the Somerset Patriots and Ian Hamilton (1.23 ERA in 16 games) is in Somerset Saturday making what is expected to be his final rehab appearance. Nestor Cortes (rotator cuff) is expected to throw off of a mound in the coming days.

As for Judge?

“He’s out right now,” Boone said. “So just trying to, obviously, get him well and back as soon as possible, but whether we had a defined day where he’d be back in, the reality is we’re without him right now and we got to find a way to get it done.”

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