BOSTON _ Aaron Judge has been a reluctant spectator at Fenway Park, watching the Red Sox widen their AL East lead during a long, lost weekend for the Yankees.
"Anytime you're not playing, it's tough," Judge said on Sunday, still feeling the discomfort of a chip fracture to his right wrist. "But we've got a good team. I'm just trying to be there to support them, and anything I can do on the bench to help the guys out."
Having dropped the first three games of a critical four-game set at Fenway Park, the Yankees' record was 3-5 since Judge was drilled by the Royals' Jakob Junis on July 26.
But there's a possibility that Judge might take some dry swings this week, as the Yankees move on to Chicago.
"It's just kind of day-to-day, taking (into account) how everything's feeling," Judge said, unsure exactly when he'd be allowed to pick up a bat. However, "so far, so good. Progressing as normal."
When Judge was placed on the 10-day disabled list, the Yankees announced a three-week timetable before the right-handed slugger could swing under game conditions.
"Tough to say. I don't want to put a number on it yet," Judge said of his comeback date. "As far as I know with the trainers, we're right on track."
Judge offered that he might participate in some minor-league rehab games, getting his timing back before rejoining the Yankees.
If things progress as scheduled, Judge might return on Aug. 21, when the Yanks open a two-game interleague series at Miami.
And when he returns, Judge figures to play the remainder of the season with a protective brace on his wrist.
But first things first.
Before Judge is permitted to swing a bat, "we want to make sure they get all the pain out of there," said manager Aaron Boone. "When that happens, he'll start to go and hopefully at that point it really starts to move quickly."
Once Judge begins swinging, it "sounds like it's ultimately a bit of a pain-tolerance thing," Boone said, and "not something he's going to hurt more.
"But there is a chip in there, it's a broken wrist. So, you've got to get it right and I think the pain will kind of tell you that."
Judge said there's still "some pain and discomfort" in the wrist.
"I know it's still fractured, it's not healed yet," Judge said. "It's going to take a while for that to heal up, but right now some of the range of motion is coming back. Now, it's just getting the strength back _ that's the biggest thing."
Judge even began ever-so-lightly tossing a baseball.
"Probably threw it about five feet, from here to the wall, basically, in the cage and it felt all right," Judge said. "Taking it slow."
Mostly, it's been painful for Boone not being able to write Judge's name into the lineup against the Red Sox, at such an important time.
For a second straight day, Shane Robinson started in right field for a Yankees team that had scored just one run since Friday's 15-7 loss.
"Everybody goes through some rough times in the season," Judge said. "And we're facing a really good ball club."
Catcher Gary Sanchez (right groin strain) could begin taking batting practice and running on the field once the Yankees arrive home Thursday. Sanchez has been rehabbing at Tampa, Fla., with "no complaints" about his progress according to Boone. Sanchez's ETA is about the last week of August.
Boone should know by Monday whether lefty J.A. Happ (hand, foot & mouth disease) will be cleared to start Thursday against the Rangers. Speaking with Happ on Sunday, Boone learned that the lefty has been able to work out and throw over the weekend. "He feels really good," Boone said. "If the virus is out of there, we think there's a real chance" Happ will rejoin the rotation on Thursday.
