Aaron JudgeWith his stellar postseason performance, it’s easy to forget that he’s been dealing with a flexor strain in his right elbow since July. The slugger had multiple hits in all but one of the first two rounds of the postseason. Judge created a decisive playoff moment in Game 3 against Toronto, hitting a game-tying home run. Louis Wallander.
As the Yankees enter the offseason, Judge was asked about his plans for his injured elbow. “We’ll definitely do some work and get it Yes,” Judge told reporters, including The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner. When asked about the specific surgery, Judge remained noncommittal.”I’m not a doctor. I have no idea.“
The flexor strain forced Judge to travel to Illinois for treatment in late July. That was minimal time at Illinois, but he was unable to play upon his return. Judge spent all of August at the Department of Health. On September 5, he returned to his familiar home in right field. Judge spent the final month of the season bouncing back and forth between right field and right field. In the playoffs, he only played on the court; Giancarlo Stanton Played the DH position in all seven games.
An initial examination did not reveal any ulnar collateral ligament damage to Judge. If he were to go that route, his recovery from surgery to address the flexor strain wouldn’t be as long as a more serious elbow injury like the UCL tear.
Anthony Volpe Likewise, he has been tight-lipped about offseason shoulder surgery. “I expect to fight for another month and then re-evaluate. so nothing [decided] …we gotta figure it out,Volpe told reporters, including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
In May, Volpe suffered a partially torn labrum in his shoulder. He didn’t play on the IL due to injury, but his performance suffered. Through April, Volpe slashed .237/.328/.456. Over the final five months of the season, his numbers dropped to .205/.255/.374. Volpe got off to a strong start in the postseason, going 4-for-11 with a home run in the wild-card round against Boston. He collapsed in the ALDS, allowing just one hit in 15 at-bats. Volpe struck out 11 in four games against Toronto.
Depending on the severity of the tear, Volpe could opt for surgery and still be ready for the 2026 season. Shohei Ohtani He suffered a labrum tear in his non-throwing shoulder during the 2024 World Series. He returned in time for spring training this year.
While Volpe never played in an IL game with his shoulder issue, he did miss time in mid-September after receiving a cortisone shot. Mid-season acquisition Jose Caballero From September 10th to 15th, he started six consecutive games at shortstop. Caballero was relegated to the bench once Volpe was deemed healthy, but he endeared himself to Yankees fans with a single in the final week of the season that earned him a playoff berth. Caballero will be under team control through 2029 and could be integrated into New York’s middle infield plans depending on Volpe’s health.
No matter what decisions Judge and Volpe make regarding surgery, they will definitely return to the team next season. can’t say the same thing Cody Bellingerhe was faced with a decision of his own. Bellinger can opt out of the final year of his current contract with the Yankees. He’ll leave $25MM on the table to pursue a longer-term, potentially more lucrative free-agent deal.
Hoke relayed Bellinger’s comments about the pending opt-out decision. As is the case with these Yankees themes, Bellinger didn’t say much. “Obviously everything needs to be discussed with family, agents and the business side. But tonight, I’m going to put my heart and soul into it and be part of the team again.“
Bellinger signed his current three-year, $8MM contract with the Cubs through the 2024 season. He could have opted out of the deal this past offseason, but declined. Bellinger was subsequently traded to the Yankees. He hit 29 home runs in his first year in pinstripes, his most since his 2019 NL MVP season. Bellinger also stayed healthy and surpassed 600 plate appearances for the third time in his career. He is widely expected to opt out of the final year of his contract.
