New York Yankees Aaron Judge took batting practice for the first time since going on the DL with a toe injury.
Jersey took batting, fielding, and running drills on the first day of the second half of his rehab assignment on Friday (June 15) against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado.안전놀이터
After injuring the big toe on his right foot in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 4 when he crashed into the outfield fence after catching a fly ball from J.D. Martinez, he was placed on the DL with a torn ACL. He picked up a bat for the first time in 41 days.
According to MLB.com, Judge showed off his improved form by playing catch in the outfield and doing some light running.
“I didn’t feel any discomfort in batting practice today,” Judge told MLB.com. “It’s hard to describe how the toe feels, but I would say it’s pain-free,” he said. “But it’s not completely healed. “But it’s not completely healed. The way it is right now, it seems to be getting better every day.
“I don’t know when I’ll be back yet, so I can’t say anything about that,” he continued, “but if you ask me how I’m feeling and how far I’ve come, I’d say I’m doing well and I’m getting closer and closer to being back.”
The Yankees desperately need Judge back. Their offense has been severely weakened. From June 5, when Judge went on the disabled list, until today’s game against Colorado, the Yankees had gone 14-18 in 32 games. Again, they were out-hit by Colorado left-hander Austin Gomber, 2-7.
As of today, the Yankees are 28th in team batting average (.231), 22nd in team OPS (.709), fifth in team home runs (130), and 19th in runs per game (4.37). With the exception of home runs, most of the offensive metrics are in the bottom half.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “I thought it was very encouraging to see Jersey hit and run and do what he’s been doing since last week. I think he’s getting to a point where he’s going to be able to run more freely. We’ve already started running this week, and he’s already able to stop, start, and change direction. My hitting is also going well,” he said.
“I’m getting closer to getting into the game, and then I’ll be able to make a decision on my return. The most important thing is to have the stamina to endure the match,” he added.
For now, it’s unlikely he’ll be back at 100 percent. Judge said he might have surgery on the injury after this season, meaning he won’t be back in perfect condition. Even so, his return is a huge boost for the Yankees.
In 49 games before his injury, Judge was batting .291 (51-for-175) with 19 home runs, 40 RBI, 42 runs scored, and a 1.078 OPS.