{
  "id": 3411409,
  "title": "Yankees stars Aaron Judge, Max Fried taking steps in the right direction",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/yankees-stars-aaron-judge-max-fried-taking-steps-in-the-right",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-26T03:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/yankees-stars-aaron-judge-max-030000638.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NEW YORK — The New York Yankees have shared promising updates on two star players before their series against the Houston Astros on Tuesday. Aaron Judge, sidelined since May 31 due to a rib stress fracture, participated in batting practice and light running drills at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, according to manager Aaron Boone. Boone confirmed Judge's intention to face some overhand pitching during the game. The back-to-back MVP has been making progress, having hit off the tee and soft toss before. As for his timeline, Boone emphasized that Judge is still several steps away from returning to the field, with facing velocity and live pitching among his remaining tasks. \"He’s got a calendar of what they’re doing, but you make adjustments to that as you go,\" Boone stated, acknowledging that progress can sometimes speed up or slow down.\n\nMeanwhile, left-handed ace Max Fried has also taken a step closer to activation. On Monday, he threw 60 pitches in simulated innings during a day of rest. Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake indicated that Fried could potentially start on Saturday during the Yankees' doubleheader against the Red Sox. Fried returned to the IL on August 17 after his second left elbow bone bruise of the season. With the Yankees currently facing a thin rotation depth following the departure of Ryan Weathers due to a flexor strain, Fried's return would be a positive development.",
  "summary": "NEW YORK — The New York Yankees shared encouraging updates on two of their stars before Tuesday’s series-opener against the Houston Astros, as Aaron Judge and Max Fried have both taken steps in the right direction this week. Judge, out since May 31 with a stress fracture in his first right rib, took batting practice in the cage and ran on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, Aaron Boone said before the ...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}