ATLANTA -- Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed Tuesday that Aaron Judge won¡¯t need offseason surgery on his right big toe.

¡°I don't think surgery is in the plans,¡± Boone said. ¡°We're not at the offseason yet, but he's doing pretty well. The fact that he's been able to play a good amount of games in the field, I think it's a testament to that. And then just even seeing him move around the bases a little bit, I feel like I've noticed a fairly steady improvement in that area.¡±

The reigning American League MVP tore the ligament in his right big toe when he crashed into the right-field bullpen gate at Dodger Stadium on June 3. He returned on July 28 against Baltimore.

Before the injury, Judge slashed .291/.404/.674 with 19 home runs and 40 RBIs through 49 games. When he went to the IL, New York sat at 35-25 -- six games back in the AL East. However, the team went 19-23 (the fourth-worst record in the AL over that span) while the slugger was out.?

Since returning, Judge has a .260/.456/.460 slash line with three homers and five RBIs through 16 games (15 starts) entering Tuesday.

¡°I think he's done great,¡± Boone said. ¡°He's not 100%, but I feel like he's moving around. That's gotten better since the first day, and that's kind of steadily improved. Whether he gets all the way back to 100% this year or not, I'm not sure about that.?

¡°But I do feel like he's able to move out there properly, save and protect himself. I feel like he's had really consistent at-bats for us. He's just probably not able to be at that peak physical level.¡±

Entering Tuesday, Judge has played six games at right field and nine at designated hitter since his return. His performance will be crucial for a Yanks team that¡¯s ¡°in it to win it,¡± per general manager Brian Cashman.?

The Yankees will try to rack up wins to nab the final AL Wild Card spot while dealing with an injury-riddled rotation (Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rod¨®n remain on the injured list) and an offense that has been inconsistent in scoring runs lately. Judge¡¯s presence should aid in that effort.

¡°Obviously, it's been a tough year for us on a lot of fronts,¡± Boone said. ¡°[Judge¡¯s] consistency about who he is is special -- in the way he goes about his business, I think the pride he takes and being the captain of this team now. So I do think his leadership has grown, and I've seen a steady growth ever since I've gotten here in how he's led [and] in getting a stronger and more focused voice in how he deals with guys.?

¡°But I think the biggest thing is his ability to connect with everyone on the roster. [It] makes him very approachable, but also allows him to have the ability to say what he needs to say to guys because he has a relationship. That's something that's always been a strong suit.¡±