That Barking Shoulder

During the second half of the season, a stranger entering the Yankee clubhouse might have confused Aaron Judge with CC Sabathia. After games, the Yankees rookie sensation was often seen with an icepack over his left shoulder.

OK, we know Judge is the club's slugging outfielder and not one of its pitchers. But the icepack made you wonder if there was an issue -- especially when #99's production tailed off drastically following the All Star Game.

We learned the answer Tuesday, when the Yanks announced that Judge had undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder to remove a "loose body" and clean up "some damaged cartilage." The problem may have been traced to hus tumbling catch over a Fenway Park wall on April 26th, his 25th birthday,

Even though the procedure is considered relatively minor, having surgery is never good news. Think about New York icons of an earlier era, such as Joe Namath and Mickey Mantle -- too much of their legacy includes "going under the knife."

Of course, medical science has improved in the decades since their heyday, and Judge was able to rebound with a strong September en route to a rookie record 52 home runs. And he's got three months until players report to camp in Tampa to begin spring training.

But a little -- or maybe 6-foot-8-inch -- question mark just got added to the back of Judge's baseball card.