The Yankees are in danger of burning Aaron Judge out

The Yankees are dangerously close to burning out their star right fielder by refusing him time to mend his tired and worn down body. If this keeps up, there’s zero chance he’ll return to his first-half production this season.

Apparently, the Yankees have fallen into the trap of looking at their specimen of a human being and star right fielder, Aaron Judge, and believing that he is a Hollywood Superhero with no human frailties.

And it appears the Yankees see him as just a machine born to play baseball forever, day in and night out, all day, every day. Because that’s the impression they are giving by refusing him, not just a day off like he had last week, but something in the neighborhood of a full week of rest to mend that shoulder and other unknown parts of his body.

Yankees believe their lying eyes

This has been a grueling whirlwind season for Judge. He’s played in all but a few games this season, and because he plays all-out on every at-bat and every fly ball hit his way, the Yankees are doing neither him or themselves any favors by pushing him to the limits of what anyone is capable of delivering.

And regardless of what anyone says or believes, the All-Star week endured by Judge permanently left its mark on a man who gave it his all, but when you think about it, received so little in return for his efforts.

Judge left Miami as a matinee idol for all of baseball, and especially, MLB to immortalize. Exposed to a national TV audience for hours on end with nary a minute of rest in between, Judge emerged, gap-toothed and all, as an immediately recognized and sought after personality baseball hasn’t seen in ages.

And whether the hype is justified or not, it’s here, and it isn’t going away.

The fallout has yet to reach its climax. The New York tabloids now follow him everywhere. Just recently, he was “seen” at the U.S. Tennis Open in New York in the company of a “blonde” who was more likely engaged in self-promotion, since she was the one who posted the photos on her Instagram account.

The Yankees contradict themselves

The Yankees have a well-deserved reputation for erring on the side of caution when it comes to players returning from injury. Players will tell you anything if it means staying on the field. Noah Syndergaard refuses an MRI telling the New York Mets, tells them”I’m good,” the Mets swallow it letting him go out the next day, injures himself and the team loses him for months on end, still waiting for his return.

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That’s not usually the Yankees way. Judge says his shoulder is fine. Okay, it might be. But compared to what? How he felt yesterday maybe, but certainly not compared to how he felt in May when everything he hit was a screaming line drive.

His shoulder is probably not what we would call injured, it’s just tired, and something is a little “off” about it. One thing is sure, though. A few days of complete rest with no baseball activity is not going to hurt.

Clint Frazier is getting rehab at-bats in the minors and could return to the Yankees early next week. With Aaron Hicks out, Joe Girardi is short an outfielder, so Judge must play. But when Frazier returns, Judge must sit.

It’s not only the responsible thing for the Yankees to do with Judge, but it’s also the wisest choice to make (now) with the playoffs looming in just three weeks.

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