All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder Monday in Los Angeles, according to a team announcement on Twitter.
Judge was named the unanimous AL Rookie of the Year for the 2017 season after slashing .284/.422/.627 (173 wRC+) with 52 home runs and 114 RBIs. He finished second in AL Most Valuable Player voting to Houston Astros’ 2B José Altuve.
The 25-year-old played in 155 games last season, starting all but four of them. He started 141 total games in right field, and 11 as the designated hitter. There had been speculation that something was ailing Judge as he became mired in a slump after the All-Star Break.
Source: Fangraphs
Many opted to blame the Home Run Derby (which Judge won), but reporters and fans observed Judge frequently wearing ice packs on his shoulder after games. But, if the shoulder is what caused the slump, he never showed it. Judge never made any excuses, and rebounded to slash .311/.463/.889 with 15 home runs and 32 RBIs in September.
Per the announcement, Judge is expected to be ready for the start of Spring Training.
