Aaron Judge needs another scan as Yankees shift him to 60-day IL
The Yankees captain remains out with a fractured rib, while New York also updated the status of Clarke Schmidt, Giancarlo Stanton and Max Fried.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Aaron Judge is staying on ice a little longer, and the Yankees have made the paperwork match the waiting game.
New York moved its captain to the 60-day injured list Saturday as he continues to recover from a fractured rib, the Associated Press reported. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Judge will need another scan before the club gives him a heavier workload.
Judge has not played since May 31. According to the AP, a scan taken during the All-Star break was reviewed by Dr. Gregory J. Pearl, chair of vascular surgery at Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital in Texas.
Boone said after Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers was postponed by rain that Judge has shown signs of healing, but has not yet been cleared for baseball work. The game was rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader Sunday.
The manager said Judge must be free of symptoms before the Yankees begin increasing his upper-body activity. Boone also said the outfielder’s pain has eased in recent weeks, changing from a sharper feeling to more of a pulling sensation, according to the AP.
Judge, 34, is batting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs this season. Before landing on the injured list, he had hit one homer across his final 18 games.
The Yankees were 36-23 when Judge last appeared in a game. Since then, the AP reported, they have gone 18-20.
The 60-day IL move was described as procedural. It opened a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Bradley Hanner, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Hanner was then optioned back to the RailRiders.
Schmidt takes a step back toward the mound
Clarke Schmidt also gave the Yankees a marker in his comeback from Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old right-hander threw one inning of batting practice, his first since undergoing the operation on July 11 last year, and said he touched 95 mph, according to the AP.
Schmidt threw 15 pitches to Anthony Volpe and Ali Sanchez, using four-seam fastballs, sinkers and cutters. He did not throw sliders, sweepers or knuckle-curves.
The AP reported that Schmidt had an internal brace as part of this operation. He also had Tommy John surgery in May 2017, one month before the Yankees drafted him 16th overall.
Schmidt is expected to throw batting practice again in four or five days. He said he could return this season in a bullpen role and is open to working as an opener or bridge pitcher.
Stanton, Fried and Lombard updates
Boone said designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton may be getting closer to a return from a strained right calf that has kept him out since April 24. Stanton is one week into a running progression and has been hitting, though he has not yet run the bases.
Max Fried, sidelined since May 14 by a left elbow bone bruise, made his first rehab start Friday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against Worcester. The left-hander allowed two runs on five hits in three innings, striking out three and walking none over 52 pitches. Boone said Fried is lined up for another outing in five days.
Shortstop prospect George Lombard Jr. returned from the injured list for Scranton on Friday and went 2 for 3 with a homer and a walk. He had not played for the RailRiders since June 16 because of sprained fingers on his left hand.
Lombard, 21, the son of a former major leaguer, is batting .239 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and eight stolen bases in 43 Triple-A games. Boone said the Yankees think highly of him and want him to build momentum after the injury.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.