OAKLAND, Calif. _ Aaron Judge hit off a tee Monday morning, the first time he's put bat to ball during his rehab.
More significant the right fielder, on the DL with a chip fracture in his right wrist since July 27, for the first time in that rehab described the wrist and didn't use the word "pain."
"That was a good sign, I really didn't feel too much on anything," Judge said before the Yankees' 6-3 loss to the A's. "It's still broken, so there is some soreness that comes with that, but for the most part I'm feeling great."
While no doubt a positive step _ Aaron Boone called it "very good day" _ what isn't clear is what Monday's news means in terms of a time frame for an actual return to games as there is a large gap between hitting balls of a tee and being big-league ready.
Which Judge acknowledged when asked if he had an idea of when he might be deemed ready to face live pitching.
"We don't know that yet," he said. "Hopefully if we just keep moving in the right direction, hopefully before the season's over with I'll be in some games. So we'll see."
Judge took 25 dry swings with a bat Monday morning, something he'd done previously, then took 25 swings off the tee.
He said he swung at "100 percent."
"I didn't want to take anything at 50 percent," Judge said. "I just wanted to go in there and, if it felt great, take some quality hacks. That's what I did. We'll see how it feels in the morning tomorrow."
Boone said the hope is Judge might take BP in the cage by the weekend and "then we'll see where we're at."
With the minor-league regular seasons coming to an end, Boone said the Yankees will have to "get creative" in getting Judge at-bats when he's deemed ready for a rehab assignment. Among the options are simulated games or perhaps sending Judge to Tampa to face some of the pitchers who might be getting work in at the club's minor-league complex there.
"These are all things we'll consider and talk about and try to do what's best for Aaron when it gets to be that time," Boone said.
For Judge Monday marked a homecoming of sorts. The 26-year-old grew up in Linden, which is about 80 miles away from Oakland.
"Always enjoy coming back to California," Judge said. "I'm glad to be back but I wish I was playing."
