Aaron Judge Takes BP, 'Checking Another Box' Toward Yankees Return

Aaron Judge stepped into the cage for batting practice, a milestone the Yankees are framing as "checking another box" in his recovery, per Bryan Hoch at MLB.com.

The development lands a day after manager Aaron Boone described a return during the next homestand as "possible" — careful language that the club has not upgraded. Batting practice is progress, not a timetable, and nothing in the reporting pins down a specific return date.

What we don't know yet

No activation, no roster move, and no official return date has been announced. The Yankees have characterized each step as a checkpoint, which is the appropriate framing for a recovery that is still moving through stages.

The broader picture

New York has been managing a crowded injury ledger. Gerrit Cole exited a start against the Angels under injury concerns, Clarke Schmidt has been working through a rehab assignment at Triple-A, and the club has been adding depth pieces — claiming reliever John Schreiber off waivers and signing Jarred Kelenic to the Triple-A roster — as the playoff push tightens. Judge returning to the lineup would be the most significant development of that group, though the batting practice report is a step, not an arrival.