Aaron Judge’s lengthy route back to the Yankees’ lineup has taken another step.
Judge played catch Friday for the first time since landing on the injured list in early June with a stress fracture in his first right rib, manager Aaron Boone said Saturday before the Yankees continued a series against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
While it doesn’t mean an imminent return to full baseball activities, it still marks another step for Judge, who last played in a game May 31 and who has defiantly vowed an intention to return this season — even with just six weeks remaining in the regular season.
The three-time American League MVP had previously been cleared for light activity such as running outdoors and upper-body work in the weight room, and Judge’s eventual return would give the Yankees’ lineup — which has struggled mightily without their cornerstone — a seismic jolt.
Outfielder Cody Bellinger and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton have also been injured, forcing the Yankees to operate with a shell of the order that they’d ideally have available.
“Oh, I’ll be back this season,” Judge said earlier this month.
“I don’t know why I wouldn’t be. That was always the plan to come back — sooner than later, definitely — but I never had a thought of not playing this year.”
