Aaron Judge has secured three of the last four American League MVP awards. Although this season hadn’t been his best, many expected the New York Yankees slugger to be a leading contender for the MVP by September.
However, Judge’s prospects for the honor and potentially his entire career face uncertainty due to an injury. While this issue could sideline him for a mere two weeks, there is a risk it might significantly impact his career.
Judge began experiencing shoulder pain while swinging at the end of May. Initial examinations by the Yankees have not identified a clear cause for his discomfort.
On Thursday, reports indicated that the team consulted Dr. Gregory Pearl. According to his website, Pearl is a specialist in complex vascular procedures and thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) management in high-performance athletes.
TOS could present the worst-case diagnosis for Judge and the Yankees. Not only might it end his current season, but it could also prevent him from ever reaching peak condition again.
The syndrome impacts nerves between the neck and shoulder, potentially diminishing strength and speed even after surgery. Matt Harvey, once a star with the New York Mets in 2015, could not return to his previous form post-procedure.
Although position players have a theoretically better recovery outlook than pitchers, if Judge’s TOS case is severe, his chances of regaining MVP level performance diminish.
As the Yankees await the results of Judge’s evaluations and Dr. Pearl’s assessment, fans in the Bronx anxiously hope for positive news about their captain.
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