SAN DIEGO — Aaron Judge Takes the Field at Petco Park

Finally, Aaron Judge was on the field at Petco Park on Friday, taking swings in the batting cage for everyone to see.

The two-time American League MVP played down the importance of his first on-field batting practice since beginning his rehab journey, but he did note it was another milestone surpassed with just a few steps remaining before he could rejoin the Yankees, possibly as soon as next week.

Judge, recovering from a right rib stress fracture, had begun indoor batting practice around ten days ago. During his time at Petco, he participated in four rounds of swings alongside his teammates and moved without apparent limitations.

His batting practice generally follows a careful pace, even outside of recovery. Still, he looked fluid as he sent baseballs flying around the outfield.

“We’re working on all the baseball things — throwing to bases, running the bases, hitting, getting on the field, and moving around,” Judge shared after his session. “I think facing some live pitching is next, and then we’ll get back out there.”

While Judge might not get a chance to see live pitching until the Yankees return home on Monday—he speculated about possibly facing Clarke Schmidt during an off day—he anticipated needing to do that “a couple of times” prior to being cleared to play.

Recently, he hit off the Trajekt machine that mimics big league pitches and has faced high-velocity pitching machines during this road trip.

“He’s been hitting a lot now in the cage, pretty intense,” manager Aaron Boone noted. “It’ll be good to see him out here — it’s certainly a step forward, but he’s already done more behind the scenes than just hitting BP.”

Judge reiterated his wish to skip a rehab assignment and jump straight into real games after missing over three months, marking his return to a team vying to catch up with the Rays in the AL East.

Boone mentioned it is “possible” that Judge could make his return during the upcoming homestand against the Rockies and Mets from Tuesday through Sunday.

“I wanted to be back June 1, and that didn’t happen,” Judge joked. “I’ll leave it up to the manager when he wants to put me in there.”

When asked if the situation was beginning to feel real as he resumed full baseball activities, Judge responded, “Yeah, but I’m frustrated about how long it’s taken, so it is what it is. I wish it felt real two months ago. But here we are, getting close. I can’t wait to be back out there.”

There are still a few obstacles to navigate, alongside his continued adaptation to increased activity levels. However, Judge’s return might not be too far off.

“We feel good,” he said. “Just trying to ramp up the volume so we’re in a solid position. It feels like an offseason after not doing anything for three months, almost like going back into spring training.”