Aaron Judge, the outfielder for the New York Yankees, is ‘near’ to returning to the field, according to manager Aaron Boone, who gave fans hope.

Since his right big toe slammed with the outfield wall during a game against the LA Dodgers on June 3, the slugger has been out with a toe ιnjury.

In his absence, the Yankees’ performance has suffered significantly, but Boone provided encouraging news on Tuesday. Before Tuesday’s game between New York and the Los Angeles Angels, Boone remarked, “I don’t know when he gets to that point to where, now we’re ready to play.”

I believe that what he is capable of doing at this point puts him somewhat “close.”I’m unable to sαy whether it will be in a few days or a few weeks because we still need to clear a few more obstacles before he can play in the main leagues.

For the fourth time in the previous five days, Judge took part in batting practice as well as some light defensive work in right field. The Yankees did not take batting practice on the one day he was absent. He has also been able to jog lightly, but he is not yet able to sprint quickly or perform intricate maneuvers. This will be the next stage of the American League MVP’s comeback, according to Boone.

Boone reported that “He’s running pretty well.” But cutting, stopping, and starting while playing a game, as well as other unҽxpected events, are quite different from simply running straight ahead.Additionally, having the ability to perform at a very high level inside the box. It’s one thing to practice your swing at [batting practice].

“It’s another thing to be in a game and take a challenging pitch and hold a check swing—all those things need to be done in a really comfortable spot.”

Although Boone did sαy that Judge would play a significant role in those discussions, it is still unclear if Judge will be sent on a rehab assignment before being given permission to leave the IL.

When Judge eventually makes a comeback, according to Boone, he’ll likely play more games as a designated hitter than usual in order to protect his toe while getting back into game shape.