Yankees star Aaron Judge cleared for light activity and says he will return from injury this season

New York Yankees' star Aaron Judge has been given the go-ahead to begin light workout activity and is confident he will return to action this season following a broken rib that has kept him out since May 31. The three-time American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) expressed his determination at Yankee Stadium, stating, "Oh, I’ll be back this season. I don’t know why I wouldn’t be." He added, "That was always the plan to come back — sooner than later, definitely. But I never had a thought of not playing this year."

Judge was recently observed at the ballpark, engaging in stretching, jogging, and shuffle slides with a resistance band as part of his recovery process. Following a scan on Tuesday, he received the green light to take the next step in his rehabilitation. "Better news. Healing up. So, you get a chance to progress a little bit, do some running, do some more upper-body stuff, and kind of progress towards getting back out on the field and swinging it," he remarked.

While a complete recovery may not occur immediately, allowing him to resume play by tomorrow, Judge acknowledged the progress he has made.

The outfielder admitted that the ultimate challenge will be returning to hitting, noting, "I think that’s going to be the ultimate test, is hitting." It remains unclear when Judge will be able to swing the bat, but he and Yankees manager Aaron Boone have not provided a specific date for his return to the lineup.