Although Aaron Boone backed Aaron Judge’s desire to skip a rehab assignment, the New York Yankees‘ manager made no promises. Still, if Judge can keep up his good work in his recovery from the stress fracture in his right rib, Boone may have an easier time making his call during the 2026 MLB season.
On the heels of Judge spending more time with the Yankees as he joins the squad on the West Coast, Boone has revealed the right fielder made further progress just before leaving New York. Judge keeps taking steps in the right direction. Along with the fact that Boone all but confirmed a report around Judge’s injury timeline, it seems like it’s only a matter of days before he’s finally back in MLB action.
“Aaron Judge hit off the Trajekt machine before the Yankees left New York, Boone said,” as stated by the New York Post’s Greg Joyce on X. “No Trajekt available on the road, but they can have him face high-velocity pitching machines this week. Continues to respond well.”
Judge checks another box amid injury recovery
Although Judge has yet to be given the green light and activated off the 60-day injured list (IL)—which Boone explained is why the Yankees’ doctors haven’t cleared him yet—he is making steady progress. And it all has fans growing more confident by the minute.
Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees at T-Mobile Park.
Thanks to today’s technology in MLB, Judge may have no need to go on a rehab assignment in the minor leagues. His recent experience with the state-of-the-art pitching machine is another encouraging update and shows that the star outfielder has already faced high-velocity pitches.
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However, that will come to a halt for as long as the Yankees stay on the road. A bummer, perhaps, but Judge is making progress, and the fact that he was sent on the road trip may indicate New York is confident it won’t cause him to lose a step on the way back.
“While Aaron Judge can continue to face velocity on non-Trajekt machines out west (not available in visiting facilities), he probably won’t get to see live pitching until the Yankees return home, Aaron Boone said,” as reported by Gary Phillips of NY Daily News.
Trajekt machines: MLB’s game-changers
While most fans around MLB have grown used to hearing players and coaches mention Trajekt and why that’s often a good sign of where an injured player stands, some aren’t really familiar with them, let alone have come face-to-face with one.
These realistic pitching machines can recreate any throw by professional pitchers across the league and serve as an unparalleled practice tool for players—not only those battling injuries, but any active player. They give players a chance to test themselves against a pitcher they might be facing soon and see everything firsthand.
These machines are fully customizable and can be set up to the exact specifications any team wants, loading data and being able to replicate any pitcher’s mechanics and throws. The fact that Judge was able to check that box off his to-do list before joining the Yankees on their week-long West Coast road trip is major, and a bright spot for New York.
Judge is inching closer
Clearly, Judge’s return is close, even if Boone doesn’t dare admit it, perhaps so as not to jinx it, and him going up against the Trajekt machine is only further proof. Throughout the road trip, Judge won’t get to be evaluated like that, but he will still face high-velocity pitching machines.
They aren’t quite as data-driven or technologically advanced as the Trajekt, but they’ll do, and there’s a reason why the Yankees prioritized having Judge hit the road with them rather than leave him in the Bronx to face pitches from an AI-driven pitcher.
