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And does Heather Knight hold the record for captaining the most women’s internationals?

Steven Lynch01-Apr-2025There were three innings of 97 in the space of two days last week, two in the IPL and one in a T20 international. Was this a first for T20s? asked Swaminathan Ramachandran from India

This was indeed a first. A score of 97 is fairly rare in T20 matches anyway – there had been only 53 such innings before last week’s rush. That started when Shreyas Iyer’s 97 not out helped Punjab Kings to victory over Gujarat Titans in the IPL in Ahmedabad on March 25. The following day, Tim Seifert matched that score as New Zealand beat Pakistan in Wellington, then Quinton de Kock also hit 97 not out as, back in the IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati.As this list shows, there had never previously been a day with two 97s in T20 matches worldwide, and just two instances of two in the space of three days – February 22-24 in 2023, and October 12-14, 2022, when both 97s were by Saurashtra’s Samarth Vyas.Jofra Archer conceded 76 runs in his four overs the other day, which I read was a record for the IPL. Who held it before him? asked Avikesh Krishna from India

Those painful figures for Rajasthan Royals’ Jofra Archer – 4-0-76-0 – came in just the second match of this IPL, against Sunrisers in Hyderabad. His first over went for 23 (including four fours and a six from Travis Head), his second cost 12 (there were two fours from Nitish Kumar), the third 22 (three sixes from Ishan Kishan) and his last went for 19, plus four byes – it included three fours from Heinrich Klaasen, and another from Kishan.The man who’s probably relieved he no longer holds the IPL record for the costliest analysis is the Indian seamer Mohit Sharma, who leaked 73 runs in his four overs for Gujarat Titans against Delhi Capitals in Delhi in 2024. The only other bowler to concede 70 in an IPL match is Basil Thampi, against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru in 2018.There have been seven costlier analyses than Archer’s in all T20 matches. Right at the top is the unfortunate Musa Jobarteh, whose four overs cost 93 as Zimbabwe piled up a T20I record total of 344 for 4 against Gambia in a T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in Nairobi in 2024.Hasan Nawaz started with 0, 0, 105*, 1, 0 in his debut series for Pakistan•AFP/Getty ImagesHasan Nawaz made a century against New Zealand in the T20I series, but also picked up three ducks. Was this a record? asked Nick Peterson from New Zealand

The new Pakistan opener Hasan Nawaz had a strange start to his international career in the recent T20 series in New Zealand: he started with two ducks, hit an undefeated 105 in the third match in Auckland, and rounded the series off by being out for 1 and 0.Only two men have made fewer than 106 runs in a T20 series in which they batted at least three times and also scored a century. South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw made 0 (out first ball), 0 (second) and 100 not out (from 48) against India in 2022. And the New Zealander Colin Munro made 0, 101 and 0 in a home series against Bangladesh in 2017. Chris Gayle’s 113 runs in five matches (four innings) in the 2016 T20 World Cup in India included 100 not out against England in West Indies’ first match, in Mumbai.Heather Knight has just been stood down as England’s captain after about ten years. Did she captain in more international matches than anyone else? asked Alan Varney from England

Heather Knight captained England for the first time in June 2016, and in all skippered in 199 matches – nine Tests, 94 ODIs and 96 T20Is. It turns out that the only person to captain in more women’s internationals is the lady she replaced: Charlotte Edwards skippered in 220 – ten Tests, 117 ODIs and 93 T20Is.Five other women have captained in more than 150 international matches: Mithali Raj 195 (eight Tests, a record 155 ODIs and 32 T20Is), Meg Lanning 182 (4/78/100), Harmanpreet Kaur 154 (3/28/123), Chamari Athapaththu 153 (0/53/100) and Suzie Bates 151 (0/79/72).The men’s record is held by MS Dhoni, who captained in 332 international matches (60 Tests, 200 ODIs and 72 T20Is). Ricky Ponting skippered in 324 (77/230/17) and Stephen Fleming in 303 (80/218/5).I was gobsmacked to discover that Len Hutton batted for 292 overs during the course of his 364, the Test record at the time. Was this the most in a Test? asked Richard Lyle from England

When Len Hutton made 364 against Australia at The Oval in August 1938, both his score and England’s 903 for 7 were Test records (since broken). Hutton was out not long after lunch on the third day: in all he batted for 797 minutes and faced 847 balls.The painstaking researches of the Australian statistician Charles Davis reveal that Hutton was out to the third ball of the 292nd over of the innings, bowled by the great legspinner Bill O’Reilly, who was sending down the 82nd of his eventual 85 overs. This was also a record at the time, but was surpassed nearly 20 years later when Hanif Mohammad batted for more than 16 hours in scoring 337 for Pakistan against West Indies in Bridgetown in January 1958. Ball-by-ball information for this match can no longer be found, but the best guess is that Hanif survived until the 312th over of the innings.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

While the results this season might suggest otherwise, West Ham United do have a fair amount of talent in their squad.

For example, when he’s not getting himself sent off, Lucas Paqueta can be a magician on the ball, and while he’s still raw, summer signing El Hadji Malick Diouf has an unreal cross on him.

Furthermore, Nuno Espírito Santo seems to be getting more out of Mateus Fernandes and has finally given Freddie Potts a proper run in the team, as fans have been calling for.

Finally, there is the club captain, Jarrod Bowen, who remains one of the best attackers in the Premier League, and therefore, fans should be excited about a young Potts-esque academy prospect who could well be the next Bowen.

Bowen's start to the season

Considering they finished down in 14th place, it would be fair to say that last season wasn’t exactly a great one for West Ham.

Yet, even though those around him were letting him down, Bowen once again proved he was one of the best attackers in the country by racking up a sensational tally of 14 goals and ten assists in 36 appearances, totalling 3148 minutes.

That comes out to a world-class average of a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or every 131.16 minutes.

So, with numbers like those, fans and pundits alike were expecting the former Hull City star to have another stellar personal campaign this season.

However, so far anyway, it hasn’t quite worked out that way.

In his 14 appearances, totalling 1260 minutes, the Hammers’ captain has scored three goals and provided two assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.8 games, or every 252 minutes.

With that said, it’s still early, and the start of the season was such a car crash that it feels almost unfair to judge him.

Moreover, Bowen has proved himself time and time again in claret and blue, so it’s likely just a matter of when and not if he rediscovers his best form and therefore, fans should be very excited about an academy product who could be West Ham’s next version of the Englishman.

West Ham's next Bowen

The good news for West Ham is that they have more than a few seriously exciting young prospects coming up through the academy at the moment.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The likes of Preston Fearon, Josh Landers and Emeka Adiele, for example, could all get their chance with the first team in the coming years.

However, when it comes to a Potts-esque youngster who could go on to be the club’s next Bowen, it’s impossible to ignore Andre Dike.

The 17-year-old gem signed scholarship terms with the club in July 2024, and while he had a good 24/25, he has reached another level entirely this year.

For example, in 12 appearances, totalling 987 minutes, he has already scored six goals and provided one assist, which comes out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.71 games, or every 141 minutes.

This ability to reliably produce goal involvements for his team is one of the reasons he could become the club’s next Bowen, and another is that he does so primarily from the right wing.

Moreover, like the first-team captain, he is more than just an output machine, as he’s got brilliant close control and an ability to create something from nothing, stemming from what Academy Manager Kenny Brown described as his “great technical ability.”

Finally, what makes him a Potts-esque prospect, you may ask.

Well, that is partly due to his impressive output, partly down to him being highly rated within the academy from people like Brown, and then partly due to him already making an appearance with the u21s despite being just 17.

Ultimately, there is still a long way to go for Dike, but West Ham look like they have a real talent in him and someone who could one day replace Bowen.

Nuno could solve big Lucas Paqueta blow by unleashing West Ham academy star

The incredible talent could be the perfect answer to Nuno and West Ham’s Paqueta problem.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 3, 2025

Nick Woltemade revealed a hilarious update on his rather lacklustre love life as the Newcastle summer signing admitted that he was single and is living with his best friend. The 23-year-old, who arrived from Stuttgart in a £69 million move just four months ago, lit up a pre-match press conference with his good humour when reporters showed interest in his private life.

• Woltemade's coy response on personal life delights the media

  With eight goals and two assists already, Woltemade has helped steady Newcastle during a demanding campaign after the exit of Alexander Isak to Liverpool. He has settled well in Tyneside and is enjoying life along with his best friend from Germany.

  "I don't know why everyone is talking about this (Woltemade living with his friend)," he told reporters. "I think it's normal when you come to a new country. Of course, I'm alone, so I ask my best friend, 'Do you want to come with me to Newcastle?' I don't know how you call it in English, when you're living with your best friend."

  Pressed gently on whether he had met “anyone special” since moving to England, Woltemade could barely contain himself.

  "No," he chuckled, "I have a lot of games…so I haven’t met anyone."

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  Newcastle held late as Howe urges belief

  On the pitch, however, the Magpies endured another night of frustration after surrendering a late lead in their 2–2 draw away to Leverkusen. Eddie Howe’s side were moments from climbing into sixth place in the Champions League table when Alejandro Grimaldo struck an 88th-minute equaliser, cancelling out Lewis Miley’s header. The match had swung chaotically from one end to another. Anthony Gordon levelled from the spot after Bruno Guimaraes’ unfortunate own goal, and Miley, just 19, later rose to head Newcastle back in front, becoming the club’s youngest goalscorer in the competition’s history. But Newcastle’s vulnerability in the closing moments resurfaced once again, with Grimaldo getting the fourth goal of the match.

  Howe, though disappointed, leaned firmly into optimism. 

  "We have to believe. When we started the Champions League campaign, if we thought it was going to be easy, I think we’re in the wrong competition," he said.

  "You’re playing very, very good teams, we’re travelling, the game schedule we’ve got – all these things you add together makes it a challenging period for us, but I think the players are navigating it really well. We are playing with a clear identity and a plan. Before the international break, I was disappointed with a couple of the performances, so I think we’ve come back strong in that respect. We have it all to prove. The two games we have are very difficult games, but I believe in the group. Wherever we go if we’re near our best, we can win."

• Howe reflects on evolution and mistakes

  Newcastle’s campaign has been turbulent at times, following what Howe described as a "difficult summer." The early-season performances were inconsistent, but the manager believes the team has since found traction.

  Howe said: "We’re a team that’s hopefully building in the right direction. We had a difficult summer – you saw that in some of our early performances. I think the last six have been a lot better. But we’re not perfect and we’re doing our best to develop and to grow. There are positive signs, but there are still some moments where we shoot ourselves, to a degree, in the foot. That was there again today and I know it’s a frustration not just for me, but for the players and for everybody because we’re costing ourselves at the moment."

  No player embodied that character more in Germany than Miley. Though the point slipped away late, Howe praised the teenager’s impact.

  Howe said: "He’s doing really and that’s all you can ask from any player when they enter the pitch, they give their best, they contribute and they prove how good they are.

  "I thought he did that in the time he was on the pitch tonight. He scored a great goal. I’m really disappointed for him that it wasn’t the match-defining moment."

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  Focus turns to Sunderland after European drama

  The draw in Germany leaves Newcastle with work to do as they attempt to secure progress in Europe. They are currently in the 12th spot with ten points from six matches and have a significant chance of finishing in the top eight. Next up is a trip to Sunderland, and Woltemade will be eager to prove himself in the derby. 

The Cubs are adding utilityman Willi Castro to their roster after trading prospects to the Twins in return for Castro. NY Post Sports' Jon Heyman was the first to report the news on Thursday.

This is definitely not the move Cubs fans expected from the organization before the trade deadline buzzer rings at 6 p.m. ET. The Cubs are still in need of a strong starting pitcher.

The Twins have been extremely busy on Thursday as they've been trading away most of their veteran players of value to other teams. Castro is the latest on that long list. The biggest trade the Twins have conducted so far was sending Carlos Correa to the Astros a bit earlier on Thursday. The Twins will look like a totally new team once the deadline has officially passed.

Castro has already played six positions so far this season for the Twins, so he will likely be used as a fill-in anywhere on the field whenever a Cubs star is out of the lineup. The Cubs are World Series hopefuls this year, so they can use all the extra assistance they can get if it means playing deep into October.

Castro has played in 86 games so far this season, averaging .245/.335./407 with 74 hits, 48 runs, 27 RBIs and 10 home runs.

Giants second baseman Casey Schmitt was one of the few batters to get a hit off of Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Sunday, but he was also one of his seven strikeout victims. Schmitt was the final batter Yamamoto faced and he struck out looking on a ball up in the zone.

While home plate umpire John Bacon rang him up in an animated fashion, Schmitt spun around to argue the call, throwing his arms up in disbelief. To Bacon's credit, he heard Schmitt out while he tossed a ball out towards the mound and let him walk away without tossing him.

Bacon was obviously confident that he had the call right this time and with good reason. Schmitt was probably just frustrated with how effectively Yamamoto moved the ball around the zone in this at-bat and left him watching a strike go by after he just chased one low out and outside.

Having already enjoyed great success by signing players from Old Trafford, Napoli are now reportedly working on a 2026 deal for yet another Manchester United ace.

Hojlund thriving at Napoli

It’s a rotten case of de ja vu for Man United, but the reality is that one of their struggling players is once again thriving at Napoli.

Last season, it was Scott McTominay, who even earned himself a Ballon d’Or nomination, and this time around it’s Rasmus Hojlund, who’s found his golden touch away from Manchester.

The Dane has been in electric form since joining Napoli, whilst United’s big-money signing Benjamin Sesko is only gradually beginning to find his feet after scoring two goals in his last two games.

Speaking about the £66m man, Ruben Amorim told reporters after he scored in a comfortable victory over Sunderland last time out:

“The most important thing is to win games.

Amorim loves him: Man Utd now readying January offer to sign £50m+ midfielder

Amorim could get his man…

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 11, 2025

“That will give confidence for everybody in the team. Of course, he was anxious for his first goal. The thing I like most in Ben is, even when things are hard for him with the ball, he is working hard in every minute of the game. That is the most important thing in the moment.”

Although Hojlund’s sudden burst of form may look frustrating from afar, United should be more than happy with Sesko’s start. Napoli, meanwhile, don’t look likely to go away anytime soon. Reports are now suggesting that the Italian giants are already working on a 2026 deal to sign another Man United star.

Napoli already working on Mainoo deal

According to Italian journalist Emanuele Cammaroto, Napoli are already working on signing Mainoo in the January transfer window and are waiting to see if the midfielder is available to complete a loan move.

“The strong temptation is to sign Mainoo,” the reporter told Napolimagazine live on Radio Punto Zero, via Area Napoli.

“But there we need to understand whether United are open to a loan with an option to buy. The parties are working on it.”

The Carrington graduate was very open about his desire to leave on loan in the summer, only for Amorim to deny him that chance and instead tell him to fight for his place. Since then, though, Mainoo has not started a single Premier League game.

Previously dubbed “special” by Paul Scholes, the 20-year-old will be desperate for the game time that Napoli could offer him. He, like everyone else, would have noticed their impact on Hojlund and McTominay and may want to follow suit in the new year.

That said, former Man United scout Mick Brown still has faith that Mainoo is being readied to replace Bruno Fernandes if he leaves for Saudi Arabia in the near future.

He told Football Insider: “It seems to me like Mainoo is being lined up as the perfect choice to step into his place, because the manager has been clear that he sees them as competition for the same role.”

NEW YORK — For the second night in a row, with a crowd there to see him, Jazz Chisholm showed them his back. On Tuesday, he rifled through his locker and mumbled monosyllables as reporters asked him if he agreed with manager Aaron Boone’s decision to bench him in Game 1 of the American League wild card series. On Tuesday, back in the starting lineup for Game 2, Chisholm dashed around third from first base on an eighth-inning single, slid on his belly into home plate and lay there, pounding the dirt, for nearly 10 seconds. 

Redemption was not on his mind, he insisted later. Winning was. 

Well, he got both. His run was the game-winner in a 4–3 victory over the Red Sox, the second straight classic in the best-of-three series. He also saved at least one run—Boston manager Alex Cora thought it was more like two—with a diving stop in the seventh. 

“That was the game right there,” said reliever Fernando Cruz, who extinguished a fire that inning to preserve the 3–3 tie and then celebrated so passionately that Boone joked about getting out of his way in the dugout. “That’s something that people don’t notice a lot of times, but I want to make sure it’s mentioned. Jazz saved us the game, completely.”

Chisholm, too, has always played with passion, often to the chagrin of his opponents and sometimes even his teammates. So when he learned that on the heels of a season in which he became only the third Yankee ever (after Bobby Bonds in 1975 and Alfonso Soriano in 2002 and ’03) to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases, he would sit in Game 1, he shared his frustration with anyone who asked. Chisholm did not care that as a lefthanded hitter, he was part of a group that hit .166 with a .455 OPS against the Red Sox’ lefthanded ace, Garrett Crochet. 

“As tough as Crochet is, he has been especially tough on lefties,” Boone said, explaining why he was sitting Chisholm, lefthanded first baseman Ben Rice and lefthanded third baseman Ryan McMahon in favor of righties Amed Rosario, Paul Goldschmidt and José Caballero. (Crochet allowed one run and struck out 11 in 7 ⅔ innings, so it might not have mattered who was in there anyway.) “There’s no great matchup.”

Chisholm obviously thought he was one. His reaction to his Tuesday benching could have rankled the Yankees, but on Wednesday, they said they understand who he is. “He is a guy that wears his emotions on his sleeve,” Boone said before Wednesday’s game. “I don’t need him to put a happy face on. I need him to go out and play his butt off for us tonight. That’s what I expect to happen.” Afterward, right fielder and team captain Aaron Judge praised Chisholm’s maturity in not letting his disappointment distract him. 

Indeed, Chisholm said that by the time he managed his custom New York Aliens team (starring him, Ken Griffey Jr. and Jimmy Rollins) to a 12–1 victory in the video game on Tuesday night, he had moved on. 

“All that was clear before I came to the field today,” Chisholm said. “After I left the field yesterday, it’s . It is win or go home for us. It is all about winning.”

Well, that was about as perfect a weekend as Mikel Arteta and Arsenal could have hoped for.

Granted, Manchester City picked up another win, but Liverpool lost their fourth game on the bounce, and their first at home to Manchester United in nine years.

On top of that, the Gunners did their job, beating Fulham 1-0 away from home to extend their lead over the Reds to four points and put themselves in the driving seat for the Premier League title.

Moreover, while it wasn’t a vintage performance from Arsenal, they were ultimately comfortable against the West Londoners, and it was another stellar showing from Bukayo Saka, and another starter who’s starting to become a Saka-type star.

Saka's performance vs Fulham

Even though Arsenal were not at their best against Fulham, they never looked in any real danger of losing the game.

In fact, what should terrify their title rivals is that, for the second time in as many games, Arteta’s side managed to prevent their opposition from taking a single shot on target.

The last time the Gunners were able to do that was back in the 03/04 season, when they went on to win the league undefeated and on 90 points.

With that said, while Viktor Gyokeres continued to struggle up top, and Leandro Trossard didn’t do an awful lot aside from scoring, it was another strong showing from Saka on the right.

The Hale End legend was lively from the first minute, and while he didn’t get on the scoresheet himself, he was far and away the Gunners’ most dangerous forward.

For example, in his 99 minutes of action, he amassed an expected assists figure of 0.55, took two shots, took 86 touches, completed six of seven dribbles, created one big chance, recovered the ball nine times and even won 13 of 20 ground duels.

It was an excellent showing from the stand-in captain, and one that once again showed that, when fit, he is the biggest and most important star in Arteta’s side.

However, there were a few other starters who stood out, including one who is starting to become something of a Saka-type player.

Arsenal's new Saka-type star

It almost goes without saying at this point that William Saliba, David Raya, Declan Rice and Gabriel Magaehelse were once again excellent for Arsenal on the weekend.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, when it comes to someone starting to become something of a Saka-type player, they do not fall into that category.

Riccardo Calafiori, on the other hand, could.

Now, this comparison is obviously not based on their starting positions or output, as while the Italian has a goal and an assist in him, he is never going to match the numbers of the Englishman – few players can.

Instead, it’s primarily based on the fact that, as one analyst puts it, he ends up “everywhere” on the pitch and adds “pure chaos” to a system many labelled boring at points last season.

For example, the former Bologna star may well start games at left-back, but he spends much of his time roaming around the pitch, picking up space here and there, dragging opponents out of their positions and freeing up areas for his teammates to operate in.

This is the key reason he could be seen as a Saka-type player in the making, as opposition defenders and midfielders are starting to realise that he cannot be left alone to roam, as he will punish them.

This was on full display on Saturday, as not only was he marginally offside for his wonderful strike in the first half, but he was also consistently all over the place, popping up at right-wing, in the middle of the park, and up top.

As one analyst put it in the summer, “his positional IQ, carrying and overall technical quality are literally game-breaking.”

Finally, while this maverick approach to games helps create space for his teammates, it also makes matches more entertaining for fans, with journalist James Benge going as far as calling the Italian “the most electrifying man in sports entertainment” on Saturday night.

Ultimately, they have their clear differences, but Calafiori’s mercurial ability to roam, pull opponents out of position and entertain the fans makes it rather easy to describe him as a Saka-type star.

Hale End's "Saka regen" left for £0, now he's outscoring Arsenal's starboy

Arsenal had a Bukayo Saka regen in Hale End that Edu allowed to leave.

By
Ben Gray

Oct 20, 2025

Manchester United are now eyeing Hertha Berlin’s Kennet Eichhorn, with it being revealed the midfielder has an affordable release clause, but there could be rival interest from some of Europe’s top clubs.

Gary Neville has suggested that Ruben Amorim may need to upgrade the spine of his team, given that his current options are arguably in the latter stages of their career, saying: “You’ve got the midfield, Casemiro and Bruno have got massive experience.

“Up front, they haven’t got the experience. But to me, that spine of Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Maguire and De Ligt is ageing, but should be doing a lot better at holding it all together than they do.”

Casemiro has been proving age is just a number with some of his recent performances, which has led to United contacting his agent about a new contract, but with the Brazilian set to turn 34 in just over three months time, Amorim may need to start thinking about a long-term replacement.

Carlos Baleba was named as the Red Devils’ dream target earlier this week, with Elliot Anderson also of interest, despite Nottingham Forest’s huge asking price, but they have now joined the hectic race for another up-and-coming prospect…

Man Utd eyeing Hertha Berlin's Kennet Eichhorn

According to an update from Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, Man United are now eyeing Hertha Berlin maestro Eichhorn, who recently broke the record to become the youngest player in the history of the 2. Bundesliga.

Lauded as an “exceptional talent” by Plettenberg, the 16-year-old is already a regular starter for the German second tier side, which has led to interest from some of Europe’s top clubs, including RB Leipzig, Ajax, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

The teenager has an affordable release clause of just €10m – €12m (£9m – £11m) included in his contract with the German club, and there are plenty of indications he could be a fantastic long-term addition to Amorim’s squad.

Becoming a first-team regular at just 16 is an achievement in and of itself, with the youngster making ten appearances all competitions this season, and he has put in some impressive performances, given his age, in order to keep his place in the side.

Last month, the Hertha starlet showcased his all-round attributes in a 2-1 win against Munster, creating one big chance, while also making a combined four interceptions and tackles to keep the opposition at bay.

Eichhorn is certainly one for the future, but it is also paramount Man United bring in a midfielder capable of immediately slotting into the starting XI in January, given that Casemiro’s contract is set to expire in the summer, and Kobbie Mainoo’s future is still in major doubt…

Kobbie Mainoo in January exit talks with deal "likely"

Amorim wants to keep him: Man Utd star in January exit talks with deal "likely"

Amidst discussions over his future, will Kobbie Mainoo move away from Old Trafford?

By
James O'Reilly

Nov 7, 2025

From looking at Yankees right fielder and designated hitter Aaron Judge's numbers in 2025, one would hardly know he was injured.

However, even while slashing .331/.457/.688, the future Hall of Famer was affected by a right elbow flexor strain for much of the late season. The injury cost him 10 days, and led to a sharp decrease in time spent playing the field when he returned in early August.

On Thursday, New York manager Aaron Boone offered a glimpse of how Judge plans to rehabilitate his injury in the offseason.

"[Judge] is not [having surgery]. He actually had an MRI after the season, it showed continued improvement in the flexor muscles. He finished the season doing pretty well, so no surgery is going to be needed for Aaron," Boone told reporters via SNY.

Judge slashed .500/.581/.682 with a home run and seven RBIs in the Yankees' seven-game playoff stint. Nonetheless, the Blue Jays knocked the Yankees out of the American League Division Series in four games.

"He'll take some time off and continue to do strengthening things and rehab and stuff. Felt like he finished the season in a pretty good place, as we saw continued improvements with him," Boone said.