TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees have spent much of the offseason answering the same question. Is Aaron Judge’s right elbow healthy enough to play the outfield every day?
Manager Aaron Boone said yes. The front office said yes. Even Judge himself insisted after the ALDS exit in October that he would not need surgery. Just treatment. Just time.
Words are one thing. Seeing the ball leave his hand at full force is another. And on Tuesday, one day before pitchers and catchers officially report to George M. Steinbrenner Field, Judge delivered the kind of visual evidence that no press conference can replicate.
But the captain’s arm was not the only thing that turned heads in Tampa. There was an unexpected guest in the batting cage, too. A familiar face who once roamed the shortstop grass in pinstripes and whose presence sent a jolt through every fan paying attention.
Judge’s arm passes the eye test
Judge was among a group of Yankees already working out at the player development complex ahead of the official start of camp. Video posted by MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch showed the captain making strong throws to bases from right field. The velocity looked crisp. The arm action looked free and easy.
It was exactly what the Yankees needed to see. Judge’s throwing had been under a microscope since he suffered a right elbow flexor strain in late July 2025. He spent time on the injured list and was limited to designated hitter before returning to right field in September. But his arm was clearly not right. His average throw velocity of 89.6 mph during the 2025 season ranked in the 85th percentile, yet he managed only two throws harder than 80 mph in September as he protected the elbow.
The playoffs told a different story. Judge uncorked a 90.2 mph throw from right field in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Blue Jays. That was the first real sign that the worst had passed.
“He has ramped up his throwing program a little bit more because he’s ready for the WBC,” Boone said last month. “He’s ahead of the game, more so than he normally is, from a throwing standpoint.”
Judge is set to captain Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, which begins March 6 in Houston. If the elbow were still a real concern, he would not be committing to that kind of workload before the MLB season even starts. That alone speaks volumes.
A familiar face swings in the cage
While Judge’s arm stole the top headlines, the surprise of the day belonged to Didi Gregorius.
The former Yankees shortstop, who has not appeared in the major leagues since 2022, was spotted taking batting practice alongside Judge, Ryan McMahon, Jose Caballero and Amed Rosario at the Tampa complex. Gregorius had been at the facility for two days wearing non-Yankees gear.
The 35-year-old is preparing to play for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic under manager Andruw Jones. The Yankees’ camp provided a convenient place to tune up his swing. Gregorius also represented the Netherlands in the 2023 tournament and has spent the past three years playing in the Mexican League, the Caribbean Series and Baseball United.
He played 660 games in pinstripes between 2015 and 2019, filling the enormous shoes left by Derek Jeter’s retirement. His grand slam in the 2019 ALDS remains one of the defining moments of that era. His return to the complex, even as a guest, carried an unmistakable warmth. He also made a cameo as a photographer at Yankees spring training last year.
End of the toxic rumor?
For several years after Didi Gregorius left the New York Yankees, speculation lingered that the split had not been entirely smooth. Gregorius was a fan favorite from 2015 through 2019, known for postseason moments and clubhouse presence. When the Yankees declined to re-sign him following the 2019 season, the move surprised many supporters. The organization pivoted toward a younger infield core, and Gregorius moved on in free agency.
That transition sparked quiet but persistent rumors. Some fans interpreted the lack of public reunion gestures or visible ongoing connection as evidence of lingering tension. The idea of a “toxic relationship” gradually took shape in online discussions, despite no confirmed reporting of conflict between Gregorius and the Yankees front office.
Those rumors resurfaced periodically, especially as Gregorius’ career took winding turns across MLB. Each time, the narrative leaned more on assumption than documented fact.
His recent appearance at the Yankees’ spring training complex in Tampa has effectively undercut that storyline. Gregorius was seen working out on the back fields and interacting comfortably within the facility. There were no signs of distance or awkwardness. In MLB, strained departures often result in cold public relations. That was not visible here.
There has never been verified evidence of animosity between the sides. His departure followed roster strategy, not public dispute. The spring return suggests that whatever business decisions shaped his exit did not fracture ties permanently.
The long-standing “toxic” narrative now appears overstated.
The week ahead in Tampa
Pitchers and catchers officially report on Wednesday, Feb. 11, with their first workout set for Thursday at Steinbrenner Field. Position players report on Sunday, Feb. 15. The full squad takes the field together for the first time on Monday, Feb. 16.
The Grapefruit League schedule opens on Friday, Feb. 20, when the Yankees travel to Sarasota to face the Baltimore Orioles. The first home game follows on Saturday, Feb. 21, against the Detroit Tigers.
“It’s no guarantees, but I’m really excited to go to battle with this group,” Boone said recently. “At the end of last year, in so many ways, it’s as good as I felt about our team heading into postseason in the years I’ve been here.”
The 2026 season opens on March 25 against the San Francisco Giants, exclusively on Netflix. Before that, the Yankees will get a close look at an infield navigating Anthony Volpe’s absence after shoulder surgery, a rotation waiting on Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon to return from injury, and a captain whose right arm appears to be just fine.
Tuesday in Tampa delivered one assurance and one surprise. For a fan base that has waited 17 years for a championship, both were welcome.
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