Aaron Judge ramps up pregame work; Boone thinks July return is possible

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge took batting practice and ran in the Coors Field outfield Friday as he recovers from a torn ligament in his right big toe.

"I kind of wanted to test it here in the Mile High city a little bit," Judge said before the Yankees played the Colorado Rockies in their first game following the All-Star break.

The reigning AL MVP said he’s been fitted with an insole for support.

New York manager Aaron Boone said he's encouraged by Judge's progress, both running and hitting. He was asked if Judge could return to the lineup in July.

"I think there’s a shot," Boone said. "Now is that going to be, ‘Aaron Boone said he thinks he’ll be back in July?’ That’s not what I said. I was answering a question. I’m not going to put a timeframe on this. He’s doing well. He’ll be ready when he’s ready."

Judge is batting .291 with 19 homers, 40 RBIs and a 1.078 OPS in 49 games. He hasn't played since injuring his toe when he banged into the right-field fence while making a terrific catch at Dodger Stadium on June 3.

Reporting by The Associated Press.