Despite injury, Judge earns starting spot for All-Star Game
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OAKLAND -- All rise for the five-time All-Star, though he'll have to watch from the sidelines this time around.
Aaron Judge received 19 percent of the fan vote to earn a starting nod in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game in Seattle, joining the Angels' Mike Trout (23 percent) and the Rays' Randy Arozarena (21 percent) in the American League outfield. He has been voted in as a starter in five of the past six Midsummer Classics.
The Yankees' captain is the fourth player in franchise history to be elected to the All-Star Game by fans five times, joining Hall of Famers Derek Jeter (nine) and Dave Winfield (seven), as well as Alex Rodriguez (eight).
Judge put on a show the last time he played at T-Mobile Park, memorably launching two homers and robbing another from Teoscar Hernández on May 29, but his stint on the injured list won't permit him to give an encore performance on July 11.
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Judge has not played since June 3, when he injured his right big toe while slamming into the right-field wall at Dodger Stadium on a catch that robbed J.D. Martinez of extra bases. Judge has since said that he tore a ligament in the toe, indicating a major sprain that makes him unlikely to return before August, at the earliest. The Yankees have not set a definitive timeline for Judge.
The 31-year-old is moving in the right direction, having resumed baseball activities by playing catch Wednesday and Thursday in Oakland for the first time since his injury.
"It's just another step. I wouldn't say it's significant or not significant," Judge said Wednesday. "There's a lot of steps we've got to take to get back to going on the field, so this is just another step along the way."
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Despite missing 10 games with a right hip sprain from April 28 to May 8 and appearing in only two contests in June, Judge leads the Yankees in home runs (19), RBIs (40) and walks (35). At the time of his injury, he led the Majors in slugging percentage (.674), OPS (1.078) and wRC+ (189).
Judge ranks third in homers and fifth in walks among AL outfielders, despite having played 31 fewer games than the league leaders.
The Yankees have treaded water in Judge's absence, compiling a 10-10 record. Before erupting for back-to-back double-digit run tallies in their final two games against the A's, the Bronx Bombers were averaging just three runs per contest since the reigning AL Most Valuable Player went on the IL.