Judge to travel with Yanks on West Coast trip, plans to ramp up activities
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NEW YORK – Aaron Judge is packing his bags for the West Coast, representing another notable development as the Yankees captain aims to rejoin the big league lineup in September.
Judge will accompany the club on its six-game road trip to the Angels and Padres. Southern California will thus serve as the setting for Judge to increase his activities, including potentially taking on-field batting practice.
“I’m sure it will be ramped up and a lot more involved,” manager Aaron Boone said before Sunday's series finale against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. “Hopefully out there, [Judge will] start to get on velocity and things like that. He’ll be part of the pregame stuff and just get more entrenched into getting ready to come back.”
The Yankees have been vague about an expected timeline as Judge returns from a right rib fracture. He’s unlikely to be activated during the West Coast trip, but New York’s next homestand shouldn’t be ruled out. The Yankees host the Rockies from Sept. 8-10 and the Mets from Sept. 11-13.
That could largely depend on whether the Yankees acquiesce to Judge’s desire to bypass a Minor League rehab assignment.
“I feel like if I tell them I’m ready to go play, I think we’re ready to go play,” Judge said earlier this week.
“I’m not a pitcher, I’m a position player. I can get my reps down here in the cage, and I’ve been at every game. I’ve been sitting there in the dugout watching every game, feeling the environment, feeling the energy. I don’t think there’s going to be much of a fight.”
Judge traces the rib fracture to a diving defensive attempt on April 26 in Houston. He last played in a Major League game on May 31.
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Judge has yet to face high-velocity pitching, though his workload has been increasing – from pool work to outdoor running in the early stages, then tee-and-toss drills in mid-August.
Most recently, Judge has been taking overhand batting practice indoors while tossing from distances up to 100 feet and shagging fly balls.
Judge said that he could build hitting volume with a mix of Trajekt, machine work and facing rehabbing pitchers, saying that regaining his timing should be “like riding a bike.”
“The toughest thing has been sitting out,” Judge said. “We’re healing up. Now it’s about getting the volume and getting the reps in.”