Aaron Judge Takes Indoor BP Again; Clarke Schmidt Close to Rehab Assignment

Aaron Judge took batting practice in indoor cages again, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com — another incremental step in his return from injury, though he has not yet been cleared for game action.

The headline from Hoch's piece — "He looks good" — carries the cautious optimism that tends to accompany these updates, and the operative word remains "toward." Indoor BP is progress, not a timetable, and nothing in the report points to a specific date for Judge's return to the lineup.

Schmidt also moving

The same report notes that Clarke Schmidt is reportedly close to beginning a rehab assignment, with the stated goal of rejoining the Yankees bullpen. Schmidt threw live BP at Yankee Stadium a day earlier, per prior Posterior coverage, so the progression from live sessions toward a formal rehab assignment represents the next step — though the assignment itself had not yet begun as of this report.

What remains unconfirmed

Neither a return date for Judge nor a specific rehab destination or timeline for Schmidt appears in the material. Both situations are developing, and the Yankees have not announced either player as available for game action.

The bullpen context is worth noting: the club signed Justin Topa to a major league deal and moved Giancarlo Stanton to the 60-day IL in a series of moves earlier this week, so Schmidt's eventual return would add another arm to a unit that has seen recent shuffling.