NEW YORK — Two days after the New York Yankees said Aaron Judge possibly could start baseball activities this weekend, the slugger said he has a torn ligament in his right big toe and is not quite ready.

Judge was hurt June 3 when he crashed into the right-field wall at Dodger Stadium while making a catch on J.D. Martinez. The injury, unusual for a baseball player, makes it hard for Judge to predict his progress.

“I don’t think too many people have torn a ligament in their toe,” Judge said before Saturday’s game against Texas. “If it was a quad we’d have a better answer. If it’s an oblique or hamstring we got timelines 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.”

Judge did rehab work in a pool on Wednesday and was hoping to progress to throwing and light hitting. Manager Aaron Boone had said the slugger might begin those activities by the end of the weekend.

“It’s something I mentioned to the training staff: I want to test it out a little bit,” Judge said. “Maybe play catch, maybe take some dry swings. I just kind of see where it’s at.

“I really wouldn’t say it’s me running on the field and or doing a lot of baseball activity. It’s more me being passive saying, ‘We’ve done a lot of stuff in here. We’re making some great progress. Let’s test with what I’m going to be actually doing on the field.’ ”

Judge set an American League record with 62 home runs last year. He is hitting .291 with 19 homers and 40 RBI in the first season of a $360 million, nine-year contract he agreed to during the offseason.

New York entered 10-16 this season with Judge on the injured list and 6-10 since the AL MVP was injured. New York was 31-19 with Judge, who also missed 10 games earlier this season with a right hip strain.

RAYS: Shortstop Wander Franco is back in the starting lineup after being benched for two games in response to his handling of frustrating situations this season.

Franco was second in the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Kanas City Royals.

After being sent home Thursday, the first of the two games he didn’t play, Franco was in uniform and in the dugout for Friday night’s game.

“It’s been hard, really hard, not being with team,” Franco said through a translator. “I’m happy to be back. It’s been difficult.”

Tampa Bay Manager Kevin Cash has declined to discuss specific incidents. Franco has at times not run out grounders. After an at-bat on Wednesday, he shattered his bat on the dugout bench.

“I think they’re doing a good job in the way they’ve controlled the situation,” Franco said. “I’ve been with this organization a long time, and I think they’ve controlled the situation well with the errors that I’ve made.”

Franco entered Saturday hitting .287, with eight homers, 34 RBI and 24 stolen bases. He is in the second season of a $182 million, 11-year contract.

• The next start of Tampa Bay ace Shane McClanahan was pushed back a couple days after he left a game against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning due to mid-back tightness.

McClanahan leads the majors with 11 wins and started Saturday with the a 2.23 ERA, the big league low among qualified pitchers. His start was cut short Thursday.

Originally set to start Wednesday at Arizona, the 26-year-old left-hander instead will take the mound Friday against Seattle.

CARDINALS: Right-hander Jack Flaherty has been scratched from his scheduled start on Sunday because of hip tightness, Manager Oliver Marmol said.

Flaherty (4-5, 4.95 ERA) had been set to face the Chicago Cubs at London Stadium. He has made 15 starts this season.

The 27-year-old Flaherty allowed 10 hits and six runs in each of his last two starts, though he got the win in the Cardinals’ 8-6 victory at Washington on Monday.

Sunday’s starter was still to be determined, Marmol said Saturday.

Reliever Jordan Hicks was unavailable because of illness. Hicks recorded the save in three straight wins this week.

Infielder Nolan Gorman also was ill but has limited availability.

RANGERS: Texas placed reliever José Leclerc on the 15-day injured list with a sprained right ankle, a day after the right-hander was hurt during batting practice.

Leclerc is 0-1 with one save and a 3.42 ERA in 24 appearances this season. The right-hander has a 5.40 ERA in his last 15 outings after starting this season with nine scoreless appearances.

BLUE JAYS: Toronto put right-hander Adam Cimber on the 15-day injured list because of a right shoulder impingement and recalled right-hander Bowden Francis from Triple-A Buffalo.

Cimber is 0-2 with a 7.40 ERA and one save in two chances in 22 games this season. The six-year veteran also has pitched for San Diego, Cleveland, and Miami.