Coming off an AL Rookie of the Year season, the Yankees definitely downplayed Aaron Judges offseason shoulder surgery.
The team said in a matter-of-fact news release: “Aaron Judge underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder yesterday. The procedure involved a loose-body removal and cartilage clean-up and was performed by Dr. Neal El Attrache in Los Angeles at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic. The anticipated recovery time will be completed in advance of the start of Spring Training.”
While some Yankees fans panicked, the media took more of a wait-and-see attitude.
Judge made it to Spring Training but in his first six games, he hadnt hit a homer. The quiet banter around baseball press circles was that his shoulder was still recovering. Then the questions started.
How long would it take Judge to get his power stroke back? Will this be a recurring problem during the season?
MLB on Twitter
@TheJudge44 has returned to his chambers. #AllRise https://t.co/JNtCDXGXf4
Judge quieted all those rumors this past Sunday when he hit a bomb to left-centerfield that landed in the walkway of the building that houses the Florida Marlins offices; proof that he will continue to hit moonshots and have Yankees fans geeking.
It was a tremendous sight for baseball in general. MLB is counting on the Yankees latest edition of Murderers Row — Judge and newly acquired Brown Bomber Giancarlo Stanton — to generate crazy ratings, revenue, and social media interest.
The 2018 MLB season can NOW officially jump off as the new face of baseball seems to be healthy and ready to rain on the record books again.
