Overview
- Judge last played on May 31 and was placed on the injured list in early June after being diagnosed with a right first-rib stress fracture.
- Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that scans cleared Judge to begin light activity such as outdoor running and upper-body resistance training.
- The club has not cleared Judge for baseball-specific work, including swinging a bat, and no firm timetable for his return has been announced.
- Sports physician David J. Chao noted concern that Judge has passed the 60-day injured-list window without resuming baseball activities, underlining ongoing recovery uncertainty.
- Even with medical progress, Judge will need conditioning and a batting progression to regain game form after hitting 17 homers with a .908 OPS in 59 games before the injury, a factor that matters for the Yankees' lineup and postseason outlook.