Looking to repeat a World Series appearance, the New York Yankees need superstar Aaron Judge to be as fresh as possible. That's why, like a handful of other veterans, Judge was held out of spring training games for the first week of camp.

But the crowd at Steinbrenner Field will not see the reigning AL MVP in Friday’s opener and instead will have to wait an extra week to watch him in action this spring, as manager Aaron Boone has circled March 1 as Judge’s likely spring debut.

The Yankees announced that both Austin Wells and Aaron Judge would be slow-played due to their workloads in 2024, as