SAN DIEGO — The Yankees are off Monday, but their most important player will not be.
Aaron Judge is expected to face live pitching Monday at Yankee Stadium, essentially the last box for him to check — other than building up his stamina — before he returns from a right rib stress fracture, likely at some point this week.
As of Sunday, the Yankees were still figuring out who would actually be throwing to Judge, but it will be his first time facing a live arm as he hopes to skip a rehab assignment in favor of returning sooner after spending three-plus months on the injured list.
The captain indicated Friday that he would likely need to face live pitching “a couple” of times before he is activated, which would seem to rule him out for Tuesday’s series opener against the Rockies.
But Aaron Boone would not say if Tuesday was unrealistic for Judge’s return.
“I don’t know,” Boone said. “We’ll see.”
Before Sunday’s game, Judge ran the bases again and did defensive work in right field.
Jasson Domínguez, who will likely be headed right back to Triple-A as soon as Judge is activated, started in right field Sunday and made a brutal fielding error, though it did not end up costing the Yankees.
Dustin Harris led off with a single to right that took a few bounces to get to Domínguez before he simply whiffed on it, as the ball rolled all the way to the wall and Harris took two extra bases.
“Obviously a play you’ve got to make. Didn’t make it,” Boone said. “Fortunately we were able to get out of that inning, but just didn’t make the play.”
Gerrit Cole was able to strand Harris at third, picking up Domínguez, who went 1-for-4.
Asked if he had a conversation with Domínguez about the play in the dugout, Boone said no.
“Errors happen. You’ve got to catch the ball, obviously,” Boone said. “I don’t know what the conversation would be other than, ‘Let’s go.’”
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It will not be Clarke Schmidt pitching to Judge, as the right-hander made his third rehab appearance Sunday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He tossed two scoreless innings with a walk and a strikeout while throwing on three days of rest.
Boone said Schmidt would need “at least a couple more” rehab outings before he could join the Yankees bullpen.
Ryan Weathers (left forearm flexor strain) began his throwing program Saturday following a two-week shutdown. … Giancarlo Stanton (calf strain) has been hitting, with the Yankees not yet ready to rule him out for the rest of the year, though it remains unlikely. … Former Yankee Michael King used Judge’s walk-up song — Pop Smoke’s “Hello” — as his own warmup music Sunday, seemingly a tribute to the slugger on the verge of his return. … After having him in the bullpen this weekend but not using him, the Yankees optioned Elmer Rodriguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
