ANAHEIM, Calif. — Aaron Judge, the Yankees captain, participated in batting practice using the Trajekt pitching machine over the weekend, marking a significant step in his recovery process as he aims for a return possibly next week. The Trajekt machines, which replicate pitches from major league players, are not available to road teams, limiting Judge's opportunities to use them this week. However, he can still engage with high-velocity pitching machines during indoor cage sessions and observe live pitching during bullpen sessions, as he did with pitcher Max Fried at Angel Stadium on Tuesday.
Manager Aaron Boone reported that Judge had a productive hitting session on Monday, incorporating breaks to simulate game conditions. Boone stated, "He’s doing well. I talked to him again today, he feels really good. He’s running well, his speed’s in a good place, his strength’s in a good place. Now it’s just about reps and building that endurance."
While it is unlikely that Judge will face live pitching during the current road trip, Boone noted the possibility of him doing so on Monday when the Yankees return home. Boone emphasized that Judge's recent activities, including standing in on bullpen sessions and using the Trajekt machine, are beneficial for his preparation to return to gameplay.
In other team news, rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. missed his third consecutive game due to knee inflammation, although Boone expressed optimism about Lombard's potential return following the team's off-day before the series opener against the Padres on Friday. Boone mentioned, "The running part of it’s good, it’s just getting the agility where we need it to be. Seems like today’s better than [Monday], so we’ll see as the day goes what level of availability there is for tonight."
With the recent roster expansion from 26 to 28 players, the Yankees activated Ryan McMahon from the 10-day injured list and added reliever John Schreiber, who was claimed off waivers from the Royals. The current roster situation makes it unlikely that Anthony Volpe or Jasson Domínguez will be called up from Triple-A unless injuries occur. Volpe has improved his performance, batting .247 with seven home runs and a .924 OPS in 21 games since his demotion. Boone remarked, "He’s working his tail off down there."
Domínguez, however, has struggled, hitting .202 with a .581 OPS in 21 games since being sent down. The Yankees plan to have Will Warren pitch behind Max Fried on Friday against the Padres, followed by Carlos Rodón, with Elmer Rodríguez potentially piggybacking on Saturday. Gerrit Cole, who started against the Angels on Tuesday, is expected to pitch again on Sunday on regular rest, allowing Wednesday's starter, Cam Schlittler, to have a five-day interval between starts due to upcoming off-days.