Aaron Judge takes swings again as Yankees navigate late-August injury questions

Aaron Judge moved a little closer to his planned return when he took swings against overhand pitching for the first time in months, according to the latest Yankees update reported by ’s Bryan Hoch. The timing matters beyond any single at-bat, because Judge’s presence is central to how New York spaces its lineup and manages at-bats in high-leverage late-season games.

The step also suggests the Yankees continue to work within a careful rehab progression for the rib fracture he suffered in late April. Hoch reported that Judge has recently been doing a variety of baseball activities, including tee-and-toss drills, throwing at distances of 100 feet, running, and shagging fly balls. For a position player, those pieces usually matter because they test both comfort and range before a heavier transition back into live pitching.

There were other signs of how the Yankees are balancing the long-term and the immediate needs of their roster. Hoch reported that right-hander Gerrit Schmidt threw about 20 pitches during his own throwing session, a mid-level milestone that often serves as a checkpoint rather than a guaranteed timeline. The Yankees’ staff also weighed in on health and availability for upcoming outings, with the team monitoring what each step means for bullpen usage and longer relief planning.

Another part of the chain reaction involved the rotation. Hoch reported that Zack Fried could return this weekend, framing it as a possible, not certain, appearance. A possible return changes how the Yankees might structure their pitching across the next set of games, because it can alter rest patterns for both starters and setup roles when the schedule tightens.

New York also received a significant transaction update involving its injured list. Hoch reported that Giancarlo Stanton was sent to the 60-day injured list, a move that generally indicates the team is planning with a longer recovery window rather than treating the injury as near-term. In practice, that affects roster flexibility, especially when the Yankees are weighing whether to carry depth for position needs or add pitching help.

The Yankees also added another name in the mix. Hoch reported that Topa was added, referencing the transaction type as an addition to the organization’s available corps in the late stages of the season. Even when players are not immediately in the spotlight, calls and assignments around this time can be designed to preserve leverage options for bullpen innings and to cover against the uncertainty created by injuries.

Taken together, the updates paint a familiar late-August picture: the club is trying to bring back a cornerstone bat while simultaneously planning for the innings and lineup days it will need if the return dates do not land exactly as hoped. For Judge, the next meaningful checkpoints will be whether his swings translate into sustained on-field progress and whether the Yankees can expand his workload as he moves from controlled batting looks toward more game-like intensity.

For the rest of the roster, the coming days will likely revolve around how Fried’s “could return this weekend” status resolves, how Schmidt responds after his reported 20-pitch session, and what role the Yankees carve out for the players made available through the IL move and the reported addition. The immediate goal is simple, if not always easy: keep the lineup moving forward while keeping the pitching staff’s most important pieces from being overextended before September relevance fully arrives.