All must rise while awaiting Judge's return

This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch’s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Aaron Boone had heard one Aaron Judge question too many. As he leaned back in an office chair deep within Fenway Park’s red-brick corridors, he produced the folded blue lineup card and rolled a black ballpoint pen through spaces 1 through 9.

“That’s the storyline, so we’re going to get beat over the head with that,” Boone said. “The reality is, that team we’re rolling out there, they’re capable of doing damage offensively. [Judge], to me, is just an excuse right now.”

These two things are simultaneously true: The Yankees still have only a murky timetable for Judge’s return from a right big toe sprain (potentially a month, according to medical experts who have not treated the injured slugger), and the Yankees have struggled mightily without him.

New York has lost eight of 12 games since June 4, the first contest that Judge missed after his crash into the fence at Dodger Stadium. Over that span the Yanks have averaged 3.25 runs per game, compared with 4.98 runs per game (and a 30-19 record) when Judge has been in the lineup.

New York’s .195 batting average, .599 OPS and 39 runs scored since June 4 are all the lowest among Major League clubs.

“Obviously, it’s a big blow for us, but we’ve got to figure out how to win games,” Giancarlo Stanton said. “That’s the situation we’re in.”

This past week, managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said his team’s bats need to “pick it up, particularly the veterans.”

Steinbrenner initially declined to be specific, but when prodded, he acknowledged that Stanton, DJ LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo are among the most prominent players from whom he wants to see improvement. (Josh Donaldson was also suggested, but Steinbrenner pointed to Donaldson’s home run tally, noting, “I like seeing the power.”)

“Certainly, DJ, Rizzo and Giancarlo, they’re struggling right now,” Steinbrenner said. “I can’t believe that will last.”

Dillon Lawson, understandably, has been “flipping over all the rocks looking for any little advantage that we can.” In his second year as the Bombers’ hitting coach, Lawson acknowledged that some players may be “trying to do a little bit extra when a guy like Judge is out.” He likened it to the situation in May, when Judge was out with a right hip strain, and said the team had course-corrected then.

In the meantime, here are some of Lawson’s takes on several prominent Yanks.

LeMahieu: “DJ started off the year extremely well. His load has changed a little bit. It’s caused him to come off the ball a little bit earlier. I would say [Sunday] in the cage it was especially good, so I’m hoping that we’re taking steps forward, getting him back on the ball to stay on the ball and drive through the middle the way he’s always done. ... When you swing, your energy should go right out to center field, straight. His stride’s a little bit more toward shortstop right now."

Rizzo: “I would say in mid-May, it started with a swing decision issue where he was expanding the zone a lot, and then that turned into a timing issue by late May. Your effort in trying to make better swing decisions, a lot of times, it’s to see the ball more -- let it travel so you can make better swing decisions. One thing that we talk about here, instead of seeing the ball longer, see it earlier so we can make decisions. Especially for our lineup, that’s key, being able to use our power.”

Stanton: “We saw last year when Stanton got back, it was a matter of getting his timing back, and so I would say a lot of that is still the same case. ... In these times, when we are struggling, it’s important to focus on one pitch at a time. Instead of one whole game or this one pitcher who’s going to throw for six or seven innings, it’s just one pitch. Step out of the box, have a plan for the next pitch and be fully committed to that.”

Lawson said that several players have adjusted their routines in the batting cages to respond to their recent issues. Boone remains confident that the tide will turn, even without Judge.

“We’ve got plenty of guys that are capable of putting up big runs,” Boone said. “I know it’s going to be the story every day until we start banging away, but we’ve got more than capable people to get it done. We’ve just got to get a little more consistent right now.”