Yankees News: Aaron Judge 'Frustrated' with Missing Time Due to Wrist Injury

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge is "frustrated" he hasn't been on the field while his team has fallen 10 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the American League East.

"I'm not frustrated with the pace [of the healing]. I'm frustrated with being out," Judge said, per Coley Harvey of ESPN.com.

Judge has been out since July 26, when he was hit by a pitch and suffered a chip fracture in his wrist. Harvey noted the Yankees initially said Judge would take three weeks to recover, but general manager Brian Cashman granted "we missed on the time frame" in an interview with WFAN 101.9 FM's Mike Francesa on Wednesday, adding, "It's going to be longer than that."

Judge also said the cortisone shot he received Monday was something to "just kind of [get] over the hump" as he eyes a return, but he is yet to take swings with a bat in his hands since he suffered the injury, per Harvey.

Last season's American League Rookie of the Year was slashing .285/.398/.548 with 26 home runs and 61 RBI in 99 games before the injury. The batting average would be a career-best mark if it continued, but he is now well behind the 52-homer pace he set in 2017.

The Yankees have treaded water without him in August at just 7-8 and now barely have the Red Sox in their sights entering the stretch run.

New York still has power with Giancarlo Stanton and Didi Gregorius, but it is missing plenty of punch without Judge and catcher Gary Sanchez, who is on the 10-day disabled list with a groin injury.

The Bronx Bombers are likely not going to catch Boston this season but are still 3.5 games ahead of the Oakland Athletics and six games clear of the Seattle Mariners in the race for the American League wild-card positions.

All signs point toward their playing in that pressure-packed single-elimination game, and they would surely love to have Judge anchor the middle of the lineup after he garnered his first October experience last year.