First pitch of the Yankees-Royals series finale was still more than two hours away, but both dugouts and the entire lower level in left field of Yankee Stadium were just about filled Sunday morning.
All eyes were on Aaron Judge as the Yankees’ captain took live batting practice for the first time since he tore a ligament in his right big toe in early June.
Facing an also-rehabbing Jonathan Loaisiga, Judge swung at six of the 16 pitches he faced, fouling off five and swinging and missing at another.
Most importantly, he didn’t appear to be favoring his toe at all.
Manager Aaron Boone said he thought Judge looked “good,” and “it’s not going to get any harder than that, facing Jonny Lo in your first live session.
“To have Aaron get in there and be able to have to take pitches, where you’re swing, swing, swing, no, those are good tests that he’s got to go through in working his way back.”
Boone said he did not yet know the next step for Judge.
The hope has been that Sunday could be a springboard into more simulated games or a minor league rehab assignment.
Judge’s morning drew a big crowd that included Boone, new hitting coach Sean Casey, Gerrit Cole and senior adviser of baseball operations Omar Minaya.
Additionally, new adviser Andy Pettite was near the mound with Loasiga while Judge was in the box.
Everyone lined up to watch and try to gauge just how close the Yankees are to getting their best hitter back in the lineup.
“I’m a sinker pitcher,” Loasiga, who is coming back from an elbow injury that required arthroscopic surgery in early May, said via a translator. “I didn’t want to make a mistake. … Everything away.”
Judge had not seen game-speed pitching since June 3, when he suffered his toe injury after colliding with the base of a wall at Dodger Stadium while making a highlight-reel catch.
In addition to his first live BP, Judge has been running the bases and has begun to cut side to side, according to Boone.
It is unclear whether Judge will return initially as a DH or be able to go back in the field right away.
“I think one of the biggest things now is going to be building up that little bit of endurance,” Boone said. “Now, doing it for a couple hours at a time. That’s where we got to get him to next.”
