AARON JUDGE SHOULDER STORY IS JUST BEGINNING

Source: YES Network

It finally arrived.  82 degrees and sunny in Steinbrenner Field in Tampa as the 2018 Yankees mandatory pitchers and catchers reported to spring training ready to work.  Also ready to work is Aaron Judge, who has been in Tampa for over a week, readying himself for the season of a lifetime.  But the spotlight appears to already be on Judge and his shoulder following multiple crashes into the right field wall and an off season surgery.

Source: NJ.com

Yankee manager Aaron Boone shared his thoughts on Judge's progress during day one of spring training. "He's doing well," the skipper said. "We talk about managing individuals and getting individuals ready. We'll certainly be as cautious as we need to be in the early days,"wrote NJ.com.  Judge is expected to speak with reporters later today after the first official practice of the 2018 season.

Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

Recall that Judge never drew any attention to his shoulder or blamed an injury for his hitting woes later in 2017 season. It is expected that he will thrill reporters with his rehab protocol and excitement for the upcoming season.  "The TV network most eagerly anticipating the 2018 Major League Baseball season is the Yankees' own YES Network, which will market telegenic young sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton as a modern-day Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris," reported Sporting News on Tuesday.

Source: USA Today

Judge who has never appeared to have cringed or cracked as pressure mounted will have a whole different kind of pressure following his Rookie of the Year win and being touted as a modern day Mickey Mantle.  But, if anyone on the team is up for the challenge it is Judge whose smile is contagious.  Hopefully his shoulder is as good as new and we can move past speculation to seeing Judge do what he does best- play with heart for the NY Yankees in 2018.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof