BALTIMORE \u2014 The New York Yankees picked up a game on the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East on Tuesday night, but nothing was more important than what was said before first pitch. If the Yankees are to win the World Series, this bit of pregame news could well be the main reason why.<\/p>\n
Aaron Judge has been cleared to start his hitting progression this week. Judge has spent the last few days working on upper-body workouts in the pool, playing catch and running. The last step before making it back to the big leagues is ramping up his hitting.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all part of the process that hopefully goes well,\u201d manager Aaron Boone said. \u201cBut the fact that he\u2019s responded (well) in his first week of added intensity, as far as being allowed to do some things upper-body-wise, is all part of his build-up.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unclear how much time Judge, who has been sidelined with a stress fracture in his right first rib, will need to feel ready for game action. But in Toronto this past weekend, Boone said it\u2019s possible that he could return in a month. The more time Judge gets to regain his timing at the plate before the postseason, the better it is for the Yankees.<\/p>\n
Giancarlo Stanton, who has been out since late April, is \u201ctoward the end of his running program,\u201d Boone said, and is responding well to the added intensity. Stanton was spotted last week at Yankee Stadium running the bases and doing agility drills in the outfield. Boone did not have a timeline on when Stanton might return, but this is as close as he\u2019s been to getting back on the field since he initially strained his calf.<\/p>\n
Without their two sluggers in the middle of the order, the Yankees\u2019 offense has been in the gutter. Even in a 3-1 win over the Orioles on Tuesday, the offense looked the same as it\u2019s been for months.<\/p>\n
Orioles starter Shane Baz struck out a season-high 10 batters, and the Yankees had just five hits. All of them came from three of the four Yankees who have been above league average by wRC+ since June 1: Trent Grisham, Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr., who has only played 12 games. Ben Rice is the only other Yankee with an above-average wRC+, but he\u2019s been one of the worst hitters in MLB since the All-Star break.<\/p>\n
Since April 25, the day after Stanton injured his calf, the Yankees have the 20th-best offense in the sport. Of the current American League postseason teams, only the below .500 Toronto Blue Jays have been worse.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see the talent that\u2019s in the room,\u201d Cody Bellinger said. \u201cI go up and down the lineup, and I believe that it\u2019s still really talented to win a lot of games. I think watching it is very frustrating, and (you) always remember how hard the game really is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bellinger is potentially days away from returning to the lineup after straining his hamstring last month, and will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Scranton\/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday. The Yankees have not decided if he\u2019ll need more than one rehab game, but getting Bellinger back could lessen Heliot Ramos\u2019 plate appearances against right-handed pitching.<\/p>\n
Even with the Yankees\u2019 three highest-paid position players all sidelined, the club has continued finding ways to win thanks to the dominance of the pitching staff.<\/p>\n