May 31, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) is pictured during batting practice before a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: New York Yankees at Seattle Mariners
(New York, NY) — On Wednesday, Yankees captain Aaron Judge played catch in the outfield at Oakland Coliseum. It is a small but important milestone: that’s his first baseball activity of any kind since spraining his right big toe on June 3rd.
“It’s just another step,” Judge said of his brief catch.. “I wouldn’t say it’s significant or not significant. There’s a lot of steps we gotta take to get back to going on the field, so this is just another step along the way.”
Judge indicated that there was nothing specific that cleared him to begin playing catch. The short throwing session did not put much of a strain on Judge’s right big toe, and he admitted that he was taking things lightly.
But he also added he “didn’t really feel too much … so it was a good sign for me.” He hopes to play catch again on Thursday.
The timeline for his return to the Yankees remains unclear, as he still has quite a ways to go until he is fully recovered, particularly with regards to hitting once again. But progress is progress.