Yankees place Aaron Judge on 60-day injured list; Clarke Schmidt resumes throwing
Manager Aaron Boone confirms Judge must become asymptomatic before upper-body training begins, while pitcher Clarke Schmidt reaches 95 mph in first live batting practice since Tommy John surgery.
The New York Yankees have placed outfielder Aaron Judge on the 60-day injured list due to a fractured rib, a procedural roster move designed to create space for right-hander Bradley Hanner. Judge, who has been sidelined since 31 May, requires further medical imaging before a significant ramp-up in activity. Manager Aaron Boone stated that the 34-year-old must become asymptomatic before commencing upper-body training.
Judge underwent a scan during the All-Star break, which was reviewed by Dr Gregory J Pearl, chair of the department of vascular surgery at Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital in Texas. Boone noted that while healing is progressing and pain is subsiding from sharp to a duller pull, the player is not yet cleared for baseball activities. The timing of the next scan will depend on how Judge feels in the coming days.
The roster adjustment allows the Yankees to select Hanner’s contract from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, after which he was immediately optioned back to the RailRiders. The move comes as the team’s performance has dipped since Judge’s last appearance; New York was 36-23 when he last played but is 18-20 since. Judge is currently hitting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs, though he recorded only one home run in his final 18 games before the injury.
In pitching news, Clarke Schmidt threw an inning of batting practice for the first time since his Tommy John surgery on 11 July last year. The 30-year-old right-hander reached 95 mph and threw 15 pitches to Anthony Volpe and Ali Sánchez, utilising four-seamers, sinkers, and cutters. Schmidt, who had an internal brace during his operation, indicated he is close to feeling normal, though he declined to throw sliders, sweepers, or knuckle-curves during the session.
Schmidt, who was selected 16th overall in the amateur draft in May 2017, expressed optimism about his return timeline. He is scheduled to throw batting practice again in four or five days and is open to returning this year as a reliever, opener, or bridge pitcher, acknowledging that his pitch count will be limited.
Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is also progressing in his recovery from a strained right calf that has sidelined him since 24 April. Boone reported that Stanton is a week into a running progression and has resumed hitting, despite a setback three or four weeks ago. The manager described the outfielder’s trajectory as moving in a good direction.
Left-hander Max Fried made his first rehab start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday, allowing two runs and five hits over three innings with three strikeouts. Fried, who has been out since 14 May due to a left elbow bone bruise, threw 52 pitches and is expected to make another start in five days. Additionally, shortstop prospect George Lombard Jr. went 2 for 3 with a home run and a walk in his return from a sprained left hand, marking his first appearance for Scranton since 16 June.
