TORONTO — Aaron Judge played catch on Friday. It was his first time doing so since a stress fracture in his first right rib retroactively sent him to the injured list on June 2.
“Just part of the ramp-up into baseball activities,” Aaron Boone said Saturday before the New York Yankees played the Toronto Blue Jays. “Hopefully, he continues to progress through this week, and we’ll see what else gets introduced.”
Judge also ran on Friday, but Boone didn’t share many details on the back-to-back MVP’s next steps. With Judge having yet to swing a bat, the manager noted, “There’s a lot more to do still.”
On Friday, Apple TV’s Tricia Whitaker, citing a conversation with Boone, said that Judge could be back in a month, though she added that no timeline is official.
Asked Saturday about that timeline, Boone danced around multiple questions before saying it was possible.
“I don’t know,” Boone said at first. “I mean, we expect them back, but we’re in the early stages of baseball activities, so hopefully things continue to go well.”
The manager went on to say, “If things progress well, that could be in play, yes.”
Boone did say that Judge, who has always preferred to keep details about his injuries and timetables on the down-low, did not need to get his rib reimaged before he resumed throwing. Judge may undergo another round of imaging before he returns, though nothing is currently scheduled.
Boone also added that “there’s still healing to go” in Judge’s rib. It’s unclear if that fracture will be fully healed when Judge comes back, making it fair to wonder if the injury will impact him on the field with less than two months left before the playoffs.
The Yankees are hoping that the answer is no, as their recent showings have demonstrated just how much the club misses Judge. The Bombers have had one of the worst offenses in baseball since he last played on May 31.
Fortunately for the Yanks, some reinforcements are expected back before Judge’s unspecified return.
Cody Bellinger (hamstring) could begin a rehab assignment next week, while Giancarlo Stanton (calf strains) could return sometime after him. Boone wasn’t sure when Stanton might begin a rehab assignment, but he’s been hitting on the field and running the bases.
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