Yankees' Aaron Judge finally grabs bat -- it's not what you think

by Felix Pantaleón

Yankees star Aaron Judge (fractured wrist) grabbed a bat while on the field before a game against the White Sox at Yankee Stadium on Monday.

NEW YORK — It looked like the moment the Yankees had been waiting for — dressed as a cruel joke.

No, start Aaron Judge still isn’t ready to start swinging a bat, but he was able to grip a Wiffle ball bat just fine.

That was the scene on the field at Yankee Stadium before a game against the White Sox on Monday.

After Judge went through baserunning drills and outfield work with coach Reggie Willits under strength coach Matt Krause’s watch, Judge walked around the field holding a play bat, not the lumber the Yankees have been waiting for him to grip since he blew past his expected return from a fractured right wrist about a week ago.

“Just gradually starting to introduce some more baseball-type activities as he continues to improve but not really ready yet to quite get the bat in his hand. But improvement,” manager Aaron Boone said.

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Judge has been on the disabled list since July 27.

Still, Boone said he thinks Judge will be back.

“I’m confident he’ll be back at full strength,” the manager said.

Judge wasn’t in the Yankees’ clubhouse when media were given access before Monday’s game.

He got a cortisone shot in the wrist Aug. 15.

Boone said Judge hasn’t started throwing at full strength, either.

He said the problem for Judge is in the full extension and whipping action that occurs in a swing or when throwing. The 26-year-old reigning American League Rookie of the Year and MVP runner-up still feels pain, Boone said.

“I’m sure he can hold the bat,” Boone said. “He can do a lot of things. Through all this, he’s been able to do his upper body training, his upper body work, but we just haven’t gone to the next level of really starting to swing the bat. That’s where, because of the way he rotates, we’ve got to get to the point where, because of the fracture, he gets to that point and it’s nonexistent anymore. That’s been trending in the right direction but it’s been something that’s moved kind of slow.”

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.