NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees captain Aaron Judge is still not cleared to get back on the field, as his broken rib continues to heal. Doctors have not yet given the green light for him to resume any baseball-related activities.
Judge has been out of the lineup since May 31 due to a stress fracture in his right ribs. A scan performed during the All-Star break revealed the injury has only partially healed, and Judge said he is currently waiting on guidance from his medical team about next steps.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke to reporters Friday, ahead of a weekend series against the two-time World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, expressing cautious optimism. “I feel good about the fact that he will be back. It’s just a matter of when,” Boone said.
Before going down with the injury, Judge was batting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs on the season, though he had managed only one homer over his final 18 games. New York held a 36-23 record when he last took the field, but the team went just 18-19 in the second half without him.
Judge isn’t the only Yankee dealing with a health setback. Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has been out since April 24 with a strained right calf. Left-handed pitchers Max Fried and Carlos Rodón are also on the shelf — Fried with a left elbow bone bruise and Rodón with left elbow inflammation.
Fried was scheduled to make a rehab start on Friday as part of his recovery. Meanwhile, pitcher Clarke Schmidt, who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, is expected to throw one inning of batting practice on Saturday.
