Aaron Judge needed a night of rest on Thursday due to lower body tightness, but he seems to have avoided any kind of injury as he is already back in the lineup for Friday night’s game in Boston.
But Tiki Barber wants to know why Judge is being put in a position where general soreness can be more of a factor, like playing center field much more than he is used to.
“If you need to give Aaron Judge days off because he’s sore…and Aaron Hicks is consistently in your lineup as well, why is Aaron Judge playing center field so much?” Tiki asked during Friday’s show.
“Why is he being put in a position where he’s being asked to cover both right and center…when we know he’s a really good right fielder, and Aaron Hicks is supposed to play center field anyways? It doesn’t make sense if you want to reserve or conserve Aaron Judge’s legs.”
Judge has already played more than 40 games in center this season, more than he did in his entire major league career previously. Patrolling center typically means covering a lot more ground and putting more mileage on your legs, especially for a Yankee outfielder who could otherwise be playing within a much more confined space like right field at Yankee Stadium. Judge still battled some lower body soreness last season despite not playing as much center field, and a few days of rest seemed to do the trick, but Tiki wants to see less Judge in center field to make sure he will be better rested for October.
“The only reason I can think this is happening is because Aaron Judge is telling his skipper Aaron Boone, ‘I want to be that guy,’” Tiki said.
“You have to protect him from himself and put him in a position where he’s not gonna be so worn out playing center field where you have to give him nights off on important games like last night.”
Follow WFAN's midday team on Twitter: @TikiandTierney, @TikiBarber, @BrandonTierney, and @TheHoffWFAN
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
Listen live to WFAN:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker (just say ‘Play W-F-A-N’)
