TAMPA, Fla. -- New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, the reigning two-time American League MVP, will be a full participant when the team's full-squad workouts begin Monday, manager Aaron Boone said Sunday.
Judge was hampered by a flexor strain in his right elbow late in the 2025 season.
Boone said Judge is scheduled to play in "four or five" of the Yankees' first nine Grapefruit League games and will be built up to six innings before leaving the club to join Team USA on March 1 ahead of the World Baseball Classic. Judge and the Yankees' other WBC participants are on an accelerated timeline in preparation for the tournament, facing live pitching earlier and going through more rigorous workout days than normal for mid-February.
"I think he took a couple of weeks off from throwing, but he was going right away," Boone said. "And I think that's kind of served him really well. He's throwing the ball really well right now."
Judge, 33, landed on the injured list with the flexor strain in late July after he could not throw the ball without considerable pain. He spent the minimum 10 days on IL before rejoining the team exclusively as a designated hitter.
He returned to right field a month later -- though the injury clearly limited his throwing ability -- and split time between the outfield and DH until Sept. 23, when he started the Yankees' final six regular-season games and seven postseason games in right field. His arm strength improved over time -- he made a 90.2 mph throw, slightly higher than his average velocity over the past two seasons, in Game 1 of the AL Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays -- but remained compromised.
At the plate, Judge had the best postseason of his career, demolishing pitching to the tune of a .500/.581/.692 slash line with a game-tying three-run homer in Game 3 of the ALDS. An MRI after the season determined elbow surgery was not required.
Boone said he expects Judge to play right field for Team USA, perhaps with a DH day mixed into his workload. Judge is one of 12 players in Yankees camp slated to play in the WBC. A 13th Yankee, Yerry De los Santos, is in the Dominican Republic's designated pitcher pool and could be called to participate.
Team USA is scheduled to play exhibition games on March 3 and 4 in Arizona before beginning pool play on March 6 in Houston. Until then, Boone said he will make sure their superstar is prepared with the proper workload.
"I want to make sure I up it as safely as we can," Boone said.