Aaron Judge Swings Bat, Hits Off Tee For First Time Since Rib Injury

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has taken another step in his recovery, resuming tee work at Yankee Stadium as he works back from a stress fracture in his right first rib. Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke to reporters Thursday, noting that Judge has also been cleared to run outdoors, play catch and perform upper-body resistance training. “He’s hit off the tee now a couple of times, so he did that today,” Boone said on Thursday. “It seems to be going well.” The team has not set a date for Judge’s next recovery milestone, but expects him to play again this season. Judge sustained the injury on April 26 in Houston before entering the injured list in late May. The three-time AL MVP posted a .248 average with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs in 59 games before his injury. This week marked Judge’s first time swinging a bat since May 31, allowing him to recover from a stress fracture in his right first rib. Limited to lower-body and light resistance training for weeks, Judge has since been cleared to resume playing catch, run outdoors and perform upper-body resistance training. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton remains without a clear timetable as he recovers from a right calf strain suffered April 24. “He had been running, I think yesterday or the day before, did more bases,” Boone said. “But nothing new.”