In Tampa, the status of Gerrit Cole remains uncertain as he undergoes additional examinations on his throwing elbow, prolonging what can be termed as “Gerrit Cole Watch.”
Meanwhile, the Yankees are eagerly anticipating the potential return of Aaron Judge, with Saturday earmarked as the target date. Manager Aaron Boone indicated that Judge is tentatively scheduled to rejoin the lineup and patrol center field against the Blue Jays at Steinbrenner Field.
Aaron Judge, the Yankees’ captain, has refrained from swinging a bat since Sunday, following an MRI examination on his abdomen the subsequent Monday, which yielded no significant findings, according to both Judge and Boone.
Judge’s premature exit from Sunday’s spring game after just two at-bats, despite most regular players receiving a third, was apparently prearranged, as disclosed by Judge and Boone.
Omitted from both lineups during a split-squad event on Monday, Judge was described by Boone as dealing with mid-spring fatigue and underwent tests on his core.
Expressing optimism on Tuesday, Judge mentioned his intent to resume batting later in the week, although he remained absent from outfield drills on Wednesday, opting instead for workouts and treatment as advised by Boone to prevent aggravation of his abdominal issue.
While Judge expressed confidence in being prepared for the Opening Day matchup against Houston on March 28, he refrained from making definitive statements given the time remaining.
Judge has accumulated 16 plate appearances across six Grapefruit League games, suggesting that he typically feels game-ready after around 30 spring at-bats, although he implied that extra work against pitching machines could help compensate for the missed opportunities.
Boone remained uncertain about Judge’s batting timeline but suggested the possibility of him playing on Saturday without extensive batting practice, which would align with a regular-season rest schedule for pitcher Schmidt.
As for Cortes, he continues on a six-day pitching regimen, aiming to rebuild after experiencing rotator cuff issues during the previous season and offseason.