Aaron Judge Injury Update: MLB Podcaster wants Yankees captain to exercise caution, not play through pain one year into $360,000,000 contract

Captain Aaron Judge's return to the field has not yielded the results the New York Yankees may have hoped for.

Since the reigning MVP returned on July 28, New York is 5-8 and has dropped further down the ladder in the playoff race. Over that stretch, the Yankees are averaging just 3.69 runs per game and have failed to win any of their past four series. With just 47 games remaining this season, the Yanks are running out of time to turn things around.

Judge is doing his part but his highly anticipated return to the lineup has failed to spark this offense.

According to Jomboy of Jomboy Media, it may be time for Judge and the organization to take a more conservative approach:

"If he (Judge) needs surgery, have him go get that surgery. ... It's totally unnecessary for you to try play through this"

Jomboy was speaking on a recent episode of the Talkin' Yanks Podcast. He praised the five-time All-Star for his perseverance and willingness to be there for the team.

Talkin' Yanks Podcast (4:10)

The New York Yankees currently trail the Baltimore Orioles by a whopping 11.5 games. The odds of defending their AL East title seem slim and the club will be more focused on securing a wild card spot in the coming months. Aaron Boone's team is currently 5.5 games out of the wild card.

Jomboy makes a valid point. Risking a player that the club recently signed to a nine-year, $360 million contract may not be the best long-term move for the organization.

Aaron Judge leads the Yankees roster in home runs, OBP, slugging and OPS

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Chicago White Sox

When healthy, Aaron Judge has been outstanding. The power-hitting righty is slashing .284/.414/.635 and has recorded 21 home runs, 44 RBIs and 48 runs.

"Shut down Aaron Judge on that bad toe — there’s no reason for him to play. The ending to this season is about as pointless as the final season of Game of Thrones and Dexter." - Gary Sheffied Jr.

Despite appearing in only 61 of the club's 115 games this year, he leads the roster in home runs, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS. He ranks second in the lineup in RBIs and runs. Judge has accounted for 13.2% of the team's total home runs in 2023

The Yankees face a challenging August with the Miami Marlins, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox next on the schedule. If the club fails to perform in those series, we could see Judge getting some more rest to heal his nagging toe injury.