Yankees’ Aaron Judge resumes throwing, but next steps remain unclear

On Friday, Aaron Judge made his first throw since suffering a stress fracture in his right rib that forced him to the injured list on June 2. Yankees manager Aaron Boone stated that Judge's return to throwing motions was part of a gradual progression back into baseball activities. Boone revealed that Judge also engaged in running activities on Friday, but did not disclose further details about the next steps in Judge's rehabilitation process.

With Judge yet to step up to the plate, Boone emphasized that there is still a considerable amount of work to be done before the player can return to the field. Tricia Whitaker of Apple TV reported that Judge could be back in a month, though she noted that the timeline is not official. Boone responded to questions about the timeline by expressing uncertainty, adding that the team expects the player to return but acknowledges that they are just beginning the baseball activities phase.

Boone clarified that Judge did not need to get his rib reimaged before resuming throwing, and it is possible that additional imaging may be conducted before Judge's return. However, no current plans for such imaging exist. Boone also noted that Judge's rib is still healing, and it remains to be seen whether the injury will fully recover by the time the player returns, which could be as early as two months away from the playoffs.

The Yankees have been struggling at the plate since Judge's absence, and they are hoping that the absence of their star player will not significantly impact their performance. Other players are set to return before Judge, with Cody Bellinger (hamstring) potentially starting a rehab assignment next week, followed by Giancarlo Stanton (calf strains) sometime after Bellinger.