Aaron Judge finally has a bat back in his hands, and that’s the first real sign the Yankees have been waiting for.
Manager Aaron Boone said the three-time American League MVP is set to start his hitting progression this week, a key step in his recovery from the stress fracture in his right rib that sidelined him on May 31. Judge had been swinging in the pool over the weekend, Boone said, and the next steps are straightforward: tee work, soft toss, then full swings in the cage. After that could come live batting practice against pitchers and, eventually, a rehab game.
For a player whose power comes from rare size and torque, this is the toughest part of the comeback. At 6-foot-7, Judge puts more strain on his body than almost anyone in the sport, and hitting is the true test for a rib injury.
The Yankees have felt every bit of his absence. When Judge last played, New York was 36-23. Since then, the club has gone 33-32, and heading into Tuesday night’s game in Baltimore, the Yankees are on pace for 90 wins after looking like a 99-win team before Judge went down.
The offensive drop-off has been brutal. From June 1 through last week, the Yankees ranked last in the majors in batting average (.217), on-base percentage (.284) and wRC+ (87). They were also 28th in OPS (.670), 27th in runs (226) and 29th in RBI (214).
Before the injury, Judge was producing like Judge: .248 with 17 homers, 38 RBI and a .908 OPS in 59 games.
He still isn’t close to a return, though. Boone said Judge is likely still weeks away and will probably need more than a spring-training-length buildup to get back after missing this much time.
Even so, the Yankees are in position to weather the stretch. They enter with the top spot in the American League wild card standings, six games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the East and 2 1/2 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox.
The lineup remains short-handed beyond Judge. Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger are also on the injured list, though Bellinger is first in line to return; Boone said he is heading to a rehab assignment this week. Stanton, meanwhile, has started running.
The Yankees are still hoping to have their expected lineup back in place before the playoffs begin in October.
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