TAMPA, Fla. — As New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge stood before his locker in the visitors clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium on the final day of the 2023 season, he made it clear that there was no one he would rather have as his manager than Aaron Boone.

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 reigning AL MVP, Yankees' slugger Aaron Judge isn't likely to find his way into the club's spring training lineup until Feb. 28 or March 1.