Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole said two words about star slugger Aaron Judge that should catch the attention of Yankees fans everywhere:
“Without pain.”
That’s how Cole described Judge in a conference call with reporters on Friday, the day after he faced the recovering hitter in at-bats during training at Yankee Stadium.
“I saw Aaron (Judge) yesterday,” said Cole. “She is swinging the bat well, she is not in pain, which is good.”
Okay? Some around the Bronx would call it outstanding.
The judge’s recovery from a broken first right rib and pneumothorax, or a collapsed lung, has been slow.
But there have been reasons for hope in recent times.
On Monday, Judge, along with teammates Aaron Hicks and Mike Ford and Mets reliever Dellin Betances, trained at Don Bosco Prep High School in Ramsey.
Jason Ferber, who organized the training, said Judge “looks super healthy right now.”
“I wanted to get in there and at least be a little bit timed, facing pitching pressure like a batting machine,” said Ferber. “Get a couple of at-bats live. We did some live shifts. “
The judge took five rounds of batting practice, some flying balls and played catch.
On Thursday, he appeared to direct Cole, according to a video provided by the Yankees. Reporters will not be able to enter the stadium until Saturday, the date of the team’s first official training for Spring Training 2.0.
The Yankees believe Judge suffered the injury while taking a diving catch last September and settled everything during the offseason. He did not play a single spring training game. On March 6, the team said doctors had finally diagnosed his injury, which he said was causing pain in his right shoulder and right pectoral muscle.
General manager Brian Cashman and general manager Aaron Boone have said they are optimistic that Judge will be ready for Opening Day on July 23.
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