Aaron Judge’s toe is getting better, but IL is possible for Yankee

NEW YORK – The Yankees are holding their breath over Aaron Judge’s injured toe.

The swelling in Judge’s injured toe has gone down since the star outfielder hit a wall at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, but Yankees coach Aaron Boone said he’s not sure if a trip to the injured list is necessary. Team physician Dr Christopher Ahmed is expected to check the toe later on Tuesday to see if it’s broken.

“The bloating is getting better today and he feels a little better today,” Boone said. “We’ll kind of see where we are tonight or tomorrow.”

If the toe is broken, the judge can miss four to six weeks, which is a huge blow to a lineup built around the superstar putter. Judge spent some time on the injured list earlier this season due to a right hamstring strain, but he’s having a solid year at the plate, hitting .291/.404/.674 with 19 homers and 2.2 bWAR in 49 games.

The Yankees depth test would continue in the rotation, with Nestor Curtis heading to the injured list with a left shoulder injury. Boone stated that Curtis struggled to bounce back between starts.

So far this season, Curtis has a 5.16 ERA in 11 starts, striking out 59 strikeouts in 59⅓ innings pitched.

To replace Curtis, New York called up Randy Vasquez from Triple-A. Right made his major league debut on May 26 against the San Diego Padres, allowing 2 runs in 4 innings pitched.

But there is some good news on the injury front for New Yorkers. Outfielder Harrison Bader, who was on the list with a low hamstring strain, is feeling better and getting active on the field. While Badr is eligible to be removed from the injured list on Friday, he said he needs more time before returning.

“I’m over the hump, and now it’s just a matter of adding load and speed, which only takes a few days,” Bader said. “I wish I could get out of bed tomorrow and be ready to play in the lineup by the next day, but that’s just not how these things work.”

Bader was a favorite among Yankee fans, hitting .267/.295/.511 with six homers in 26 games while playing solid defense at center field after starting the season on the injury-hit list.