Yankees’ captain Aaron Judge takes BP ahead of Wild Card Series opener
At Yankee Stadium, Yankees’ captain Aaron Judge takes batting practice ahead of the team’s best-of-three 2025 Wild Card Series opener against the Boston Red Sox.
NEW YORK – As the Yankees exited the 2025 playoffs, there lingered some unanswered questions about the physical status of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Volpe this offseason.
Judge dealt with a right flexor issue during the second half, Volpe nursed a sore left shoulder over the majority of the season, and Stanton’s chronic elbow condition can’t be ignored.
Also, the Yankees will be monitoring the progress of ace Gerrit Cole and fellow right-hander Clarke Schmidt (elbow surgeries) along with Oswaldo Cabrera’s rehab from a fractured ankle.
Here’s a look at the some of the situations to watch for this winter:
Aaron Judge’s right flexor issue
While making a throw from right field during a July 22 game at Toronto, Judge winced noticeably.
He played two more games and landed on the injured list with a right flexor strain, which mainly impacted his throwing ability.
Returning to the lineup on Aug. 5, Judge was strictly a designated hitter until Sept. 5, but his throwing was compromised for the balance of the year.
Judge did regain some arm strength by October, and he was September’s AL Player of the Month – batting .370 with 10 homers in a bid to repeat as AL MVP.
Loathe to discuss any physical issues, Judge was typically reserved on the subject.
“We’ll definitely do some work on it,’’ Judge said immediately following Toronto’s AL Division Series clincher last week at Yankee Stadium.
“We’ll do some work on it and get it right.’’
Would that require an offseason medical procedure?
“I’m not a doctor,’’ said Judge. “I don’t know.’’
Giancarlo Stanton’s elbow issues
Stanton didn’t make his 2025 debut until June 16, and he didn’t hit his first homer until July 2.
From there, Stanton was a wrecking ball, with 24 home runs over his final 65 regular-season games with a 1.011 OPS.
And with Judge restricted to DH duty for a month, Stanton became more than an occasional outfielder, making 18 defensive starts.
Stanton’s production could make anyone forget that early spring training day, eight months back, when the slugger revealed that he played through a worsening condition in both elbows in 2024 – even as he belted seven homers in 14 postseason games and claimed the AL Championship Series MVP.
Described as a severe form of tennis elbow, Stanton felt the issue resurface during offseason batting cage work in late January, ultimately costing him nearly three months of the 2025 season.
Immediately after the Yankees’ season ended, Stanton said he was unsure of this winter’s plans for both elbows, other than to say: “Rest will do them good.”
Though he made hard contact during this postseason, Stanton had difficulty putting the ball in the air consistently and batted .192 (5-for-26) with no home runs in seven playoff games.
Anthony Volpe’s labrum issue
On a diving play at shortstop May 3, Volpe felt a “pop’’ in his left shoulder.
Later diagnosed with a small labrum tear, Volpe had a .768 OPS through May 3 and posted a .632 OPS in his final 120 games.
Volpe received a cortisone injection at the All-Star break and again Sept. 10, which was accompanied by a late-season boost at the plate (11-for-38) and defensively.
But Volpe’s response was guarded about how the shoulder impacted a difficult 2025 season, leading to questions about his pinstriped future at shortstop.
“I had a really good relationship with the training staff, and they trusted me. I trusted them. We grinded the whole way,’’ Volpe said last week, adding softly that, “I could’ve done a lot better.’’
Volpe wasn’t sure whether he’d require offseason surgery for his labrum tear.
“I anticipated playing another month and then reassessing then,’’ said Volpe, in the immediate aftermath of the Yankees’ playoff elimination.
“We’re going to figure it out.’’
Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt’s elbow recovery from Tommy John surgery
Both right-handers underwent Tommy John (reconstructive) elbow surgery in 2025.
Cole resumed throwing exactly five months after his March 11 surgery (which included an internal brace), putting him on pace to return to the Yankees’ rotation by late May, based on the 14-month rehab plan.
Schmidt’s July 11 surgery could take him out of the 2026 season entirely, though it’s possible he might be ready by late September.
Oswaldo Cabrera’s recovery from ankle fracture
Four months after suffering a gruesome left ankle fracture in a game at Seattle, the eternally upbeat Cabrera was back on the field during pregame workouts.
By the postseason, Cabrera was taking groundballs with the Yankees’ regular infielders, with all signs pointing to a full recovery this winter and a normal spring training.