Yankees' Aaron Boone dials back Aaron Judge optimism

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed optimism Tuesday that slugger Aaron Judge could potentially return to the lineup as soon as next week. 

Boone sang somewhat of a different tune later in the day. 

"I don’t know when he gets to that point to where now we’re ready to play," Boone said about Judge shortly before Tuesday's 5-1 loss at the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night, per Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "I do feel like the things that he’s able to do now is kind of putting him close. But whether that’s days from now or weeks from now, I can’t answer because we have to get through those final hurdles where he really does things that allow him to play in the major leagues." 

During a Tuesday appearance on the "Talkin' Yanks" podcast, Boone indicated Judge could potentially play against the New York Mets next Tuesday or Wednesday. However, the skipper acknowledged later in the day that the reigning American League Most Valuable Player still needs to test his injured big right toe running the bases and taking swings that go beyond just batting-practice cuts. 

"When you’re taking BP and getting your swing off, it’s another thing to be in a game and take a difficult pitch and holding a checked swing and all those different things you need to be in a real comfortable spot to do," Boone explained.