New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has begun swinging off a tee as he continues his recovery from a fractured rib.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed the advancement in Judge's rehabilitation process on Thursday, calling the session "well."
"It will be good to see him [Friday] when we get home," Boone said.
Judge has been sidelined since the beginning of June. His recovery progression has moved from limited activity to playing catch and swinging in a pool. For Judge to return to his previous performance level before the end of the season, his recovery must continue to progress, and time is becoming a factor as he has already missed nearly three months. He will require time to regain playing shape once medically cleared.
Another outfielder, Cody Bellinger, who has been out with a hamstring strain since July 25, was scheduled to play his first minor league rehabilitation game on Thursday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. While Bellinger may need more than one rehab game, the Yankees have not ruled out his potential return this weekend against Toronto.
Without Judge and Bellinger, the Yankees have relied more heavily on Spencer Jones and Heliot Ramos. Giancarlo Stanton, also on the injured list with calf injuries since April, has continued his running program, according to Boone.