Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks were among those at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, swaying in preparation for the start of spring 2.0 training when they return from injury.
But both outfielders were looking for a job the Monday before the stadium reopened, which is why Hicks called Jason Ferber over the weekend.
“I wanted to find a field where I could hit,” said Ferber, who has worked with Hicks for the past year. “He said a couple of other guys were going to show up.”
This is how Yankee outfielders, along with Mike Ford and new Mets right-hander Dellin Betances, ended up at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, NJ, on Monday, where they worked for three hours.
According to Ferber, who works with hitters at a variety of levels, from amateurs to professionals, Judge didn’t seem to be uncomfortable when he returns from a fractured rib that left him out during spring training.
“The judge did not appear to be grimacing or feeling pain,” said Ferber, adding that the judge appeared to be hovering around 70 percent. “Its [batting practice] the swings were smooth and effortless. “
The judge hit a few balls over 400 feet, Ferber said, and he also did some drills in the outfield.
Hicks, who had Tommy John surgery in the offseason, took swings from both sides of the plate and “dropped it,” said Ferber.
And Hicks’ arm action “looked good.”
Both players are expected to return in time for Opening Day, which is scheduled for July 23-24, as the Yankees benefited from the MLB shutdown in March. Judge and Hicks were expected to miss out on about half of the regular season, but now they may not be out.
Mike Ford also got some work and the players were joined by assistant hitting coach PJ Pilittere, bullpen catcher Radley Haddad and recently retired CC Sabathia, who is now a special adviser to the team.
Although the players have returned to the Bronx, Ferber said he found a different atmosphere in Don Bosco, where some administrators had their children on hand to throw balls.
“They had to get their job and there was no fancy stadium to go to, so it was like everyone was on the same level for a second,” said Ferber, who posted training videos on his Instagram account @coachferber. “It was great energy. After all that happened, you could tell these guys were happy to be back on the field, doing what they were supposed to be doing. “
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