Aaron Judge Will Be 'Good to Go' on Opening Day Despite Feeling 'Under the Weather'

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge is expected to play on opening day after missing the finale of spring training while feeling under the weather

Aaron Judge may be a superstar athlete, in tip-top shape, but that doesn’t mean he’s immune to seasonal allergies.

The Yankees’ slugger was held out of the lineup on Monday afternoon, sitting out for the third straight game at the conclusion of spring training. 

As much as panic ensued across the fan base, worries were wiped away when Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided good news later in the afternoon on the star’s status.

The skipper revealed that Judge was feeling “under the weather” in a live interview with the YES Network during New York’s final exhibition game. Sunday was a scheduled day off for Judge, but Monday he was kept on the sidelines since he wasn’t feeling well physically.

Shortly after Boone’s broadcasted presser, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman provided additional details on Judge's condition, walking through the challenges of COVID-19 protocols.

“Any little issue that's conveyed, you react a little larger to,” Cashman said in a Zoom call. “We just sent him through all the protocols and thankfully we've eliminated all the stuff other than the fact that every now and then you can come up with not feeling really well. But he's fine. I talked to him on the phone and thankfully he was smart enough to share ‘hey, I just didn't wake up feeling all that great.’”

As for Judge’s status ahead of Thursday’s opening day back in the Bronx, Cashman and Boone both expect the slugger to be starting in right field as the regular season begins.

“He should be good to go,” Boone told reporters after the game.

Cashman added that the pollen down in Tampa can be “pretty bad” this time of the year, saying other players on the Yankees had been impacted by seasonal allergies throughout the spring as well. Mix those symptoms in with an ongoing pandemic, and the organization had to take the necessary precautions just in case.

“You just run through the protocols to make sure you're not in a worse spot and thankfully we're not,” Cashman said. “Obviously when someone like [Judge] is expected to be in a lineup and then is not, it's gonna raise the appropriate questions and concerns. So that's what we're dealing with.”

Judge projects to hit second in New York’s lineup on Thursday, starting in right field. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.