Yankees' Aaron Judge: Toe Injury 'Not Healed,' but Recovery 'On the Right Track'

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge's injured toe is improving, but it's not yet at a point where's capable of playing in games.

Judge, who took batting practice prior to Friday's game against the Colorado Rockies, told reporters afterward his toe is "not healed," but "we're on the right track" as he works to get back in the lineup.

The reigning AL MVP's batting practice session was the first time he was able to step in the cage since suffering the injury on June 3.

Judge injured his toe when he crashed into the fence at Dodger Stadium to make a catch on J.D. Martinez's liner to right field in the eighth inning of New York's 6-3 win.

Judge was able to finish the game, but he sat out the next two games before being placed on the injured list with what was initially described as a contusion and sprained ligament in his right big toe.

The five-time All-Star told reporters on June 24 he tore a ligament in his toe and couldn't put a timeline on his return because of how the injury impacts his ability to do all the things needed to play in games.

"I don't think too many people in here have torn a ligament in their toe," he explained. "If it was a quad, we'd have a better answer. If it's an oblique or hamstring, we have answers and a timeline for that. With how unique this injury is, and it being my back foot, which I push off of and run off of, it's a tough spot."

Yankees manager Aaron Boone has been careful about not putting a timetable on Judge returning.

"It's more about getting to the point where he's ready to get into a game," Boone told reporters on Friday. "And then we'll make those decisions at that point. ... The biggest thing will be getting to that game endurance, stamina."

Judge told Jon Heyman of the New York Post last month he expects to return this season: "I'm going to do everything I can to put myself in that position."

It's been made apparent over the past six weeks the Yankees desperately need Judge. They rank last in MLB in batting average (.219), on-base percentage (.287) and tied for 28th in runs scored (119) since June 4.

Judge is hitting .291/.404/.674 with 19 homers and 40 RBI in 49 games this season.

The Yankees lost 7-2 to the Rockies on Friday night and are 14-18 in the past 32 games without Judge. Their 49-43 overall record is tied with the Boston Red Sox for fourth in the AL East and two games behind the Houston Astros for the final wild card spot.