12:44PM: Choose mentioned his damage with Hoch (Twitter hyperlinks) and different reporters, saying “It’s not going to be good right here in a few weeks.  As soon as we are able to handle the ache, we’re going to be in a great spot….I don’t assume too many individuals in right here have torn a ligament of their toe.  If it was a quad, we’d have a greater reply.  If it’s an indirect or hamstring, we have now solutions and a timeline for that.  With how distinctive this damage is, and it being my again foot, which I push off of and run off of, it’s a troublesome spot.”

12:26PM: Aaron Choose suffered what was regarded as a sprained proper massive toe and a bruise when he crashed into the concrete help beam underneath the Dodger Stadium right-field bullpen door on June 3, whereas making a spectacular catch.  Choose hasn’t performed since, and whereas he has reportedly been making regular progress in his restoration, Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone was non-committal about predicting when Choose would possibly return.

One other element has now come from Choose himself, who advised reporters (together with Newsday’s Erik Boland and The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner) that his damage included a torn toe ligament, not only a sprain.  Choose continues to be feeling ache when he walks, and whereas he may be beginning some restricted baseball-related actions quickly, he gained’t but be capable of run till he can not less than stroll with out discomfort.

Whereas that is new data to the general public, it clearly isn’t a shock to the crew, so it isn’t clear if this materially modifications no matter very free timeline may be in place for Choose to return to New York’s lineup.  Boone advised that Choose might get again to motion earlier than the All-Star break, and that may look like a best-case state of affairs given how comparatively far-off Choose appears to be from really ramping up his rehab work.

Talking with MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and different reporters immediately, Boone stated he believes Choose might be again earlier than the tip of the 2023 season, although he didn’t assure it.  As ominous as this sounds, Boone could have been holding again on linguistic grounds (since a assure is “an absolute.  I can’t say that about anybody.”) moderately than out of real concern over a really long-term damage to the reigning AL MVP.  That stated, it’s definitely disconcerting that there’s even a slim probability Choose’s toe damage would possibly carry a untimely finish to his season.

The Yankees have a mediocre 6-10 document since Choose’s final recreation, with a league-worst 66 wRC+.  Contemplating that extreme lack of offense, a 6-10 document would possibly really be an achievement, and the Yankees have remained in a wild card spot as a result of some struggles from different AL playoff contenders.  For sure, New York’s probabilities of staying within the playoff race might be closely diminished if Choose can’t get again to the sphere quickly, given his outsized function in carrying the Yankee lineup.