MLB Summer Camp 2020: Latest News on Aaron Judge, Clayton Kershaw, More

A healthy New York Yankees lineup could cause the most damage during a 60-game Major League Baseball season.

Aaron Judge is one of a few hitters entering the shortened campaign with a clean bill of health, which could put the Yankees near, or at, the top of the list of World Series contenders. 

Judge told reporters Monday that he "is game-ready" ahead of the July 23 opener against the Washington Nationals, per the New York Times' James Wagner.

Before the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Judge was dealing with a right rib fracture and a punctured lung. 

Now that he is healthy, Judge needs to get in reps at the plate and field in the buildup to the opener.

"I'm feeling good. The biggest thing now is just getting the reps in because I missed so many at-bats in spring training," Judge said. "I didn't get all the reps in the outfield, reps on the bases. Right now, it's just about getting my timing back in the game and just getting my game reps in and go out there for 60 games."

When healthy, Judge has one of the best power bats in the majors. He produced 52 home runs in 2017 and 27 in each of the last two seasons. 

Judge could combine with Gleyber Torres, Gary Sanchez and Giancarlo Stanton to form one of the most formidable lineups in MLB. 

Stanton also benefited from the break to recover from a right calf strain. If he remains healthy, the Yankees could receive a massive lineup boost from a player who hit 38 home runs and recorded 100 RBI in his first full season in New York in 2018.

Stanton would likely start as the club's designated hitter with Judge and others in the outfield, but he is looking to play in the field as well, as he told Rivera.

"It's been pretty recent, [my calf] feeling 100 percent," Stanton said "We're going to go through camp, make sure that the schedule lines up to be ready to DH and go from there. With the season being so short, this is really a one-stop shop of getting it right. I think we have a good schedule down and a good formula to get it right."

New York would not be struggling for lineup production if Judge and Stanton were out, but their support for Torres and Sanchez could tip the scales in matchups against American League East and National League East foes. 

Kershaw To Start Opening Day

The Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed Tuesday that their ace will take the mound for the July 24 opener versus the San Francisco Giants.

Clayton Kershaw's Opening Day appearance will be the ninth of his career, according to ESPN.

In 2019, the southpaw did not appear until April 15. He began the season with 21 strikeouts and five earned runs in three April starts.

Kershaw went 1-2 against the Giants last season, but he did not concede more than three earned runs in those outings.

While Kershaw is secure at the top of the rotation, the Dodgers still have questions to answer about the back end after David Price opted out of the season. 

With Tony Gonsolin currently not in summer camp, Dustin May could earn the available starting job. Manager Dave Roberts was pleased with how May has looked so far, per MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.

"There's a lot to like with Dustin, in whatever role," Roberts said.

May started four games when he was called up in August, but he shifted into a bullpen role for the postseason push. He started 73 games across four minor league seasons. 

The Dodgers will be without Max Muncy for a few days after he had a ball hit off his left ring finger, per Gurnick. The injury is not expected to affect Los Angeles for the opener. 

Yoenis Cespedes 'Looks Like A Monster'

Yoenis Cespedes' New York Mets teammates have raved about the form he entered camp in.

Michael Conforto pointed out to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo that the outfielder "looks like a monster." 

"He looks like he's motivated. He looks like he's in shape. I've seen some of the stuff he was doing to get himself ready, some videos of him working out at his ranch. The guy is definitely hungry. He misses the game."

Cespedes is one of the hitters that may benefit most from the designated hitter rule. The Mets could use his power, and there is a smaller risk for injury than playing in the outfield. 

The 34-year-old has five seasons with more than 20 home runs, but he has been unable to stay healthy recently. He has played just 119 games for the Mets since 2017.

If he is healthy and provides support behind Pete Alonso, the Mets will be in a better position to provide run support for their starters, which is what they struggled with in 2019.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference