By Manny Randhawa | July 14, 2023
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DENVER — Aaron Judge completed on-field batting drills ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Rockies at Coors Field, the first time the Yankees’ superstar hitter has done so since torn ligaments in his right big toe on June 3 .
Judge, who injured his toe when he crashed through the outfield fence at Dodger Stadium on a great catch, said he didn’t feel “constrained at all” during the BP session. Judge also participated in some light outfield drills, playing catch in the outfield and completing light runs.
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The judge said it was “hard to describe” the feeling in the toe, but said he “wouldn’t call it pain.” He didn’t give a timeline for a return to the Yankees lineup.
“It’s not cured, so it’s obvious what it is,” Judge said. “But we’re making progress every day. We are making good progress and are getting closer.”
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Because of Judge’s layoff, the Yankees rank near the bottom of the majors in most major offensive categories. Trouble at the plate led to the firing of hitting coach Dillon Lawson and the hiring of former major league first baseman Sean Casey, a former teammate of manager Aaron Boone.
“What we’ve seen in a goal over the past week has encouraged us [and running] “I think it’s going to be more about getting to the next level where you can really let go,” Boone said of Judge’s progress. It’s already run this week, but you can stop, start and cut there. The batting is going really well.
Boone said there was no discussion of potential minor league rehab games for Judge.
“It’s more about getting to the point where he’s ready to get into a game,” Boone said. “And then we’re going to make those decisions at that point. … The most important thing will be to get the game stamina and stamina.”
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With no timeline for Judge’s return, the Yankees began the second half of the season with a goal of getting back on top even without the centerpiece of their lineup. They hoped hitter-friendly Coors Field would give the bats a boost.
For now, Judge will continue to watch from the dugout until the moment comes when he can finally play. He certainly won’t be at 100 percent when he’s back in action considering he hasn’t ruled out off-season toe surgery.
But a less than 100 percent judge rating would certainly be a big boost for New York’s ailing lineup.
“He’ll push, but he’ll know when he’s ready,” Boone said. “…He’ll be ready when he’s ready.”