Overview
- Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Aaron Judge has started hitting off a tee for consecutive days and has not reported setbacks as he comes back from a right first‑rib stress fracture.
- Judge has already been cleared to run outdoors, play catch and do upper‑body resistance work, and tee swings are the next planned step before he faces live pitching or joins batting practice.
- The team expects Judge to play again this season but has not set a firm return date and will move only if scans and Judge’s symptoms continue to improve.
- New York’s offense has struggled in Judge’s absence, ranking near the bottom in key metrics, which makes his return a decisive factor in the Yankees’ late‑season and postseason outlook.
- If progress continues, the club could use a short minor‑league rehab assignment to give Judge live at‑bats before slotting him back into the major‑league lineup.