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Aaron Judge Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Expected Back For Spring Training

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Imagine what he might have done with a completely healthy shoulder.

The Yankees announced Tuesday that slugger Aaron Judge underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder a day earlier. During the procedure, Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles removed loose bodies and cleaned up cartilage in Judge's shoulder.

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Judge, who was named American League Rookie of the Year last week, is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in February, the Yankees said.

Judge Homers
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees hits a two run home run against Jose Berrios of the Minnesota Twins during the fourth inning in the American League Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium on October 3, 2017. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Judge played through the shoulder issue. But he reportedly received treatment for it in August and conducted some postgame interviews with a heavy ice wrap on the shoulder.

Judge, 25, broke Mark McGwire's major league record for home runs by a rookie with 52, many of them jaw-dropping, tape-measure shots. He led the American League in homers, runs scored (128) and walks (127) while batting .284 for a Yankees team that fell one win short of the World Series.

He came in second place to Houston's Jose Altuve in American League MVP voting.

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