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Yankees Outfield Woes Persist as Judge's Return Remains Uncertain
24 Aug
Summary
- Aaron Judge's return to the outfield still unclear
- Giancarlo Stanton filling in, but with limitations
- Yankees relying on DH role to keep both sluggers in lineup
As of August 24th, 2025, the New York Yankees are still grappling with the limitations in their outfield, and the timeline for Aaron Judge's return to the field is still unclear. Judge has been slowly working his way back from a right flexor strain that landed him on the injured list last month, but he has been relegated to a designated hitter role since his return on August 5th.
This has led to Giancarlo Stanton's return to the outfield, as it's the only way for both sluggers to be in the starting lineup. Stanton has been performing well, hitting .333/.400/.778 with 15 home runs in his last 34 games. However, the Yankees are not comfortable using him in the outfield every game, especially in certain ballparks where there is more ground to cover.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone had previously stated that Judge was throwing out to 150 feet and that the team was "getting close" to his return to the outfield. But when asked about a timetable, Judge deferred to the team's training staff, leaving more questions than answers.
The Yankees will need to continue monitoring Stanton's defensive work and how he is handling the increased playing time in the outfield. They will also need to determine if there is a scenario where Judge is not back in the outfield for another week or two, or if he could be used solely as a designated hitter for the rest of the season.
