Aaron Judge is continuing to take steps in the right direction as he recovers from the ligament tear in his right big toe.
The slugger began lightly hitting over the last few days, in addition to playing catch, which he started doing during the Yankees’ recent road trip. Judge, out since June 3 thanks to a fence-breaking catch at Dodger Stadium, has been hitting off the tee and soft toss flips.
“It’s feeling good, but not great yet,” Judge said Tuesday when asked about hitting. “So we’re getting there.”
Judge said he needs to be able to run and put all his weight on his back foot before he can play. Even then, he anticipates having discomfort for the foreseeable future.
Judge noted that some injuries can make an impact for years. For example, he said his pinky still feels lingering effects after he dislocated it in 2021.
“I kind of understand you’re going to deal with some pain coming back,” Judge said of his toe, “so it’s just about getting to a point where it’s tolerable and we’re not setting ourself back here.
“You never know what it’s gonna feel like. I can’t see the future. So I’m just telling you how it is right now and what we got.”
Aaron Boone agreed, noting that pain tolerance will determine Judge’s next steps and his still-unclear timeline.
“When it’s right, and when he’s able to go, he’ll be able to go and confident that he’ll be able to do it at the level we’re accustomed to seeing,” the manager said. “So I do feel like he’s making really good progress in that regard. But from a time standpoint, it’ll take as long as it needs to where he’s able to go out there and be Aaron Judge.
“Obviously that rotation on that back foot and toe is important. And he’ll know if he can do it at a level he needs to be able to do it.”
Boone went on to say that Judge’s ability to manage pain has actually been a part of the player’s growth over the years. Judge has suffered a handful of injuries throughout his career — some major, some minor — including a hip strain earlier this season.
The reigning MVP has only played in 49 games this year.
“I feel like he’s done a really good job of understanding how to govern things and how to play through certain things that not everyone can,” Boone said. “He has shown that ability. It’s been one of the biggest things in his development.”
Judge mentioned that the possibility of surgery on his toe has come up, but he said, “We’re not doing that this year.”
When asked if that could be an offseason option, Judge didn’t entirely dismiss the idea. “But I’m not a doctor,” he said. “I got no idea. They throw around eight different things when you’re back there.”
Judge also has to decide if he’ll travel to Seattle to participate in All-Star Game festivities — not to play — after fans voted him into the July 11 exhibition. He will make that decision based on where he’s at in the rehab process and will consult doctors and trainers.
For now, Judge said that insoles can help him manage his pain, as those will keep him from flexing his big toe. He also said that his gait has improved lately, but it’s still not perfect.
“It’s feeling good walking,” Judge said. “It doesn’t feel great. I don’t think I’ll ever be normal, but I’m moving around pretty well right now.”
NESTOR’S NEXT STEPS
Nestor Cortes (rotator cuff strain) felt good Tuesday after throwing about 25 pitches in a bullpen on Monday. Cortes used his entire arsenal.
Cortes still had to play catch when he spoke Tuesday, but he planned on throwing a two-part, 30-pitch bullpen on Thursday. If that goes well, he planned on throwing one inning of live batting practice on Sunday before the All-Star break begins.
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