Barring a late setback, the New York Yankees plan to activate outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) from the injured list on Friday before their game against the Baltimore Orioles. Judge took part in a five-inning simulated game in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday and is expected to increase his volume on Wednesday, according to manager Aaron Boone. It means that Judge won't officially go on a minor-league rehab assignment after spraining his right big toe when he crashed into the right field wall at Dodger Stadium on June 3. The Yankees have gone 18-23 without the reigning American League MVP, so getting Judge back will be huge for the offense. The AL's all-time single-season leader in home runs could be a bit rusty, but fantasy managers are going to want to get him back into their starting lineups ASAP.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) is taking live at-bats in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League on Tuesday, and he appears to be in the "log-at-bats-quickly" phase, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Judge is getting closer to returning to the Yankees after tearing a ligament in his right big toe in early June. However, there's still no exact timetable for his return, and it remains to be seen if he'll embark on a minor-league rehab assignment before being reinstated from the injured list. The fact that he's taking live at-bats is a very good sign, though, and barring a setback, he could be back before the end of July. Fantasy managers will be thankful to get his elite power back into their everyday lineups.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) took live batting practice prior to Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals. The good news is that Judge made it through the session without any apparent setbacks. But the bad news is that there is still no timetable for his return. Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters the following, "one of the biggest things is going to be building up that little bit of endurance, doing it for a couple of hours at a time." It's nice to see the slugger swing the bat for the first time in a long time but the Yankees and fantasy managers will both need to remain patient. Judge has been out since early June with a broken toe.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) will face right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga (elbow) in live batting practice on Sunday. After that, Boone said the team could "potentially" have a timetable for Judge's return to the lineup. The 31-year-old All-Star is nearing a return for the Yankees after tearing a ligament in his big right toe back in early June. He's likely to need a few minor-league rehab games before he's reinstated from the injured list, but there's a possibility that he's back with the Yankees by the end of next week. When healthy, Judge has the ability to career a fantasy team with his elite power in pinstripes.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) ran the bases on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a torn ligament in his big right toe in early June. Running the bases full speed without any setbacks is the last hurdle for Judge before the Yankees consider sending him on a minor-league rehab assignment, so this is more good news for fantasy managers. Officially, there remains no firm timetable for the 31-year-old All-Star slugger, but his return is getting much closer. There's a chance he doesn't even go on a rehab assignment. Fantasy managers should have him available soon, and hopefully his toe injury won't have any lingering affects on his power stroke.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone doesn't have a specific return date for outfielder Aaron Judge (toe), but he's said multiple times that "he's getting close." Next Tuesday, June 25, against the New York Mets was mentioned as a possibility, and Boone didn't rule it out. This should make fantasy managers ecstatic, as Judge has been sidelined since June 3 due to a torn ligament in his right big toe. The 31-year-old All-Star slugger has been taking on-field batting practice and doing light running and apparently has been feeling better. Running the bases full speed will likely be the last thing he needs to do before he's cleared to return. Judge will return to a .291/.404/.674 slash line with a 1.078 OPS, 19 homers, 10 doubles, 40 RBI, three steals and 42 runs scored, and he's a must-start in all fantasy lineups when healthy.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) took batting practice on the field on Friday for the first time since tearing a ligament in his right big toe at Dodger Stadium on June 3. He also did light outfield drills, played catch and did some light running in the outfield. Judge said he "didn't feel limited at all" during batting practice, but since his toe isn't healed yet, he has no timetable for a return to the lineup. Manager Aaron Boone said he was "encouraged" by Judge's progress, but there hasn't been any talk yet as to whether he'll need a minor-league rehab assignment. Judge has ruled out having in-season surgery on his toe but hasn't ruled out offseason surgery. For now, fantasy managers remain in a holding pattern with the elite slugger. It might be a stretch to expect him to return in July, but an early August return isn't unrealistic.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) is taking batting practice at Coors Field on Friday prior to the game against the Colorado Rockies to start the second half of the season. Judge has been doing some light throwing recently and he also did some soft toss and hit off a tee on the Fourth of July, but this is the first time he's taken on-field batting practice as he recovers from a torn ligament in his big right toe. There remains no timetable for his return from the injured list, though, with the Yankees only saying recently that they expect the 31-year-old superstar to return in the second half. Taking batting practice is a nice step for Judge, but he might still have a ways to go before fantasy managers are able to put him back into their starting lineups.

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that there is no timetable for outfielder Aaron Judge's (toe) return and that he has more steps to take, such as running the bases and minor-league rehab games. Cashman said that Judge will be back at some point in the second half. Fantasy managers were hoping that Judge would be back shortly after the start of the second half of the season this weekend, but it looks like that's not happening. The 31-year-old superstar did some light hitting on the Fourth of July, but he still has a ways to go before he's ready to be activated from the injured list. All fantasy managers can do is hope for a quick recovery and that Judge isn't affected negatively in any way by the torn ligament in his big right toe when he does make it back.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) said he has started doing some light hitting in addition to playing catch. He said he has felt better lately, but he's still undecided on going to Seattle for this year's All-Star festivities next week. Judge started playing catch before games last week, and now he's graduated to light hitting, which is another sign he's progressing from a torn ligament in his right big toe. The 31-year-old All-Star slugger is still far from a return to the Yankees lineup, and surgery after the 2023 season remains a possibility. It would probably be a surprise if he's able to return before the end of July at this rate, so fantasy managers are going to have to remain patient. The Yankees have used Jake Bauers, Giancarlo Stanton, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Billy McKinney in right field in the last week.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) did some throwing in the outfield on Friday before the team's game against the St. Cardinals for the third straight day. Judge hasn't done anything but throw this week, but it represents some progress after he announced last weekend that he's dealing with a torn ligament in his right big toe. There remains no timetable for his return to the lineup, though, so fantasy managers are going to have to stay patient. The 31-year-old All-Star slugger isn't going to be back in the big leagues before the All-Star break in mid-July, but he could return early in the second half of the season. Hopefully, Judge will start doing other baseball activities besides just throwing next week. Jake Bauers has seen most of the action in right field with Judge on the injured list.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) played catch in Oakland on Wednesday for the first time since tearing a ligament in his right big toe on June 3. Judge didn't do any running or anything like that, but it's a small step in the right direction for the All-Star slugger. There remains no timetable for Judge's return, and fantasy managers are just crossing their fingers that he'll be able to return at some point in July after the All-Star break. With Judge out, the Yankees have mostly been using Jake Bauers as the starter in right field. Judge obviously needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues after breaking an American League record with 62 home runs in 2022. He's currently hitting a strong .291 (51-for-175) with 10 doubles, 19 homers and 40 RBI in 49 games.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) told reporters on Saturday that he's dealing with a torn ligament in his toe and not a sprain. This news complicates matters for the Yankees star, who said he still has pain when he walks. He was initially diagnosed with a sprain, but a torn ligament is a greater issue. There's still no timetable for his return, so fantasy managers will need to stick with their backup plan for much longer than originally anticipated. The Yankees should provide another update next week.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) has advanced to pool/balance/strength work, according to manager Aaron Boone. The Yankees are hoping Judge can resume throwing and possibly light hitting by the end of this week. Judge turned a corner in his rehab from a right big-toe sprain after receiving a second platelet-rich plasma injection, but he has yet to resume baseball activities. The Yankees aren't going to rush the 31-year-old All-Star slugger back until he's fully healthy, so fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if he doesn't return until after the All-Star break in mid-July. Judge still leads the league with a .674 slugging percentage and has added 19 home runs, 10 doubles and 40 RBI in 49 games played (213 plate appearances). Jake Bauers, Oswaldo Cabrera, Billy McKinney and Giancarlo Stanton could all see playing time in right field until Judge returns.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that he feels like outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) is turning a corner in his rehab, although he hasn't done any baseball activities yet. Most of the swelling in his toe is gone and he is able to do more things on his toe from a balance standpoint. It comes after Judge received a second platelet-rich plasma injection in his big right toe. Once the 31-year-old All-Star slugger resumes baseball activities, a minor-league rehab assignment shouldn't be far off, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to return until July. Judge still leads the league in slugging percentage (.674) and OPS (1.078) while hitting .291 (51-for-175) with 10 doubles, 19 home runs, 40 RBI and 42 runs scored in 49 games played. He's obviously a must-stash in all fantasy leagues.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) received another platelet-rich plasma injection in his toe on Thursday, according to manager Aaron Boone. Judge was still experiencing lingering soreness in one of the two ligaments in his toe, and the new shot pinpointed the second ligament. The team hopes this will speed up the process towards Judge starting baseball activities. The 31-year-old All-Star slugger has been out with a sprained right toe since June 3, and there remains no timetable for his return. Fantasy managers can do nothing but be patient and keep him stashed in an IL spot. At this point, Judge may not return to the Yankees before the All-Star break in mid-July. With Judge out of action, Jake Bauers and Willie Calhoun have been splitting playing time in right field in the Bronx.

There remains no timetable for New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge's (toe) return to the lineup. Manager Aaron Boone has insisted over the past week that the team won't have an accurate timetable until the swelling in Judge's sprained right big toe dissipates, which remains a work in progress. "There's still a bunch of stuff going on in there," Judge said Sunday. "But improvements each day, which has been a good sign. No step backs or any holdups. We're on the right track." The Yankees aren't going to rush the All-Star slugger back before he's fully ready, so fantasy managers will need to remain patient. As of Sunday, Judge said he had "no idea" when he'd start baseball activities. The Yanks have been rolling with an outfield combination of Billy McKinney, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Willie Calhoun and Jake Bauers.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) has had the swelling decrease in his sprained right big toe and has opted against using a walking boot. The team updated reporters earlier this week on the 31-year-old slugger's status. While he still has no timetable for his return it's encouraging to hear that the swelling has gone down and a walking boot isn't necessary. He will be out at least until June 14, which would mark the end of his minimum IL stay, but there's a chance it could be a little longer if he has a setback. The Yankees should provide another update at the end of the weekend.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) is headed to the 10-day injured list with a contusion and a sprain in his right big toe, per skipper Aaron Boone. The 31-year-old made an admirable catch to rob J.D. Martinez of an extra-base hit on Saturday, but at the cost of crashing into the bullpen fence in right field at Dodger Stadium which caused the damage to his toe. Judge doesn't have a clear timetable for a return at this juncture, but fantasy managers will be relieved to hear there's no break or fracture. The 2022 AL MVP will be shelved for at least a week, though, and his AL-high 19 homers to along with an MLB-best .674 SLG and 1.078 OPS will be sorely missed by both the Yankees and fantasy managers alike for however long the superstar is sidelined.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) will not be in the starting lineup on Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox, according to manager Aaron Boone. The Yankees will get a diagnosis later on Tuesday that will determine whether Judge needs to go on the injured list. Fantasy managers are nervously awaiting that decision. The 31-year-old All-Star injured his right toe when he crashed into the outfield wall on Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he might need some more time to recover. Judge has been hot in his last eight games, going 9-for-29 (.310) with two doubles, five home runs and seven RBI, and he obviously remains a must-start when he's in the lineup. Overall, the record-setting home run hitter is hitting .291 (51-for-175), and he leads the league with 19 home runs, a .674 slugging percentage and a 1.078 OPS in 49 games.