MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees’ captain, Aaron Judge, is slowly working his way back from a rib fracture sustained in late April. He took a significant step towards returning in September on Tuesday, taking some swings against overhand pitching for the first time in months. He has been throwing at distances of 100 feet, running, shagging fly balls, and performing other baseball-related activities, including tee-and-toss drills.
SNY | Phillip Martinez: Yankees left-hander Max Fried, currently in the midst of his second bone bruise-related IL stint of the season, has a chance to return this weekend. The Bombers will have a busy schedule this week, including a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, and manager Aaron Boone suggested that we could see the southpaw that day. The veteran threw four innings, about 60 pitches, of live batting practice on Monday. “We’ll see where we are as the next couple of days unfold,” Boone said.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: With Ryan Weathers hitting the injured list, the Yankees needed some good news on the pitching front. They definitely got them on Tuesday: not only is Max Fried on the way back and potentially an option for the weekend, but Clarke Schmidt threw about 20 pitches, with velocity in the mid-90s range. Per the reports, as long as his arm and body recover well, he should start a rehab assignment in the coming days. The right-hander will return as a reliever this year.
Schmidt, recovering from Tommy John surgery performed last summer, posted a 3.32 ERA in 2025 after making playoff starts for the 2024 team’s pennant run.
Yankees PR: The Yankees made a procedural move early on Tuesday, selecting recently-signed reliever Justin Topa’s contract to the active roster. Joel Sherman had reported that this move would be made. To make room for him, the organization transferred DH/OF Giancarlo Stanton to the 60-day injured list after a recent setback seriously jeopardized his chances of returning this season.
Also of note: Triple-A prospect Elmer Rodríguez reportedly has a locker in the Bronx this week, and since tonight’s starter is TBD, that could very well be him in his fifth career appearance (or at least serving in a bulk role). Bradley Hanner is a candidate to be demoted after throwing 25 pitches last night.
Read the full article here
