Mickey Togs

The New York Yankees have some encouraging news regarding their captain. Yankees general manager and senior vice president Brian Cashman appeared on the MLB Network on SiriusXM Radio and provided an important update on Aaron Judge’s recovery.

After what has felt like an endless wait for positive developments, Judge has now cleared another major hurdle. It is the first good news for the captain since he went on the Injured List.

Judge has been cleared to resume activities now that his injury has healed enough to allow him to begin ramping up his workload.

This represents the first major step in what will be a gradual recovery process. The Yankees aren’t going to rush their superstar back onto the field, particularly after he has already missed nearly two months.

Cashman also revealed that Judge believes he will return this season, and the medical staff shares that belief.

For the first time in nearly two months, Yankees fans have a legitimate reason to feel optimistic about their captain.

Judge believes he’ll be back. The doctors believe he’ll be back. And now, the recovery process is finally moving forward.

The Mets struggled in multiple facets again in their loss to the Astros 6-3. Despite a decent outing from Zac Thornton, the Mets’ bullpen could not hang on to the fragile lead they were given, and the offense had no response.

— It was a battle of rookie pitchers between New York’s lefty Zac Thornton and Houston’s righty Ethan Pecko.

— Astros star shortstop Jeremy Peña led off the game with a 435-foot home run. The Mets offense responded in kind during the bottom half of the first inning, when Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto socked back-to-back solo shots.

— Thornton was sharp in his 11th career start, striking out five, walking one, and allowing two earned runs on six hits across five full innings. Now through 61 innings, he sports a 2.93 ERA.

— Facing right-handed reliever Jonathan Pintaro with a man on second base in the sixth, Astros lefty Lamonte Wade Jr. stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and cranked a two-run homer. 

— Wade’s third pinch-hit home run of his career was the turning point in the ballgame, giving the Astros a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

— The Mets (61-76) were bested in the team’s series finale against the Houston Astros (69-68), their third straight series loss.

Dozens of Hardee’s locations across nine states are set to shut down after franchisee ARC Burger, LLC filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

The major operator — one of the chain’s largest — is liquidating its assets and shutting down 77 Hardee’s locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina and Wyoming. The proceeds from the liquidation will be distributed to creditors.

The collapse follows a months-long legal battle between ARC and Hardee’s, which alleges the franchisee racked up more than $6.5 million in unpaid fees and royalties.

Hardee’s is hardly the only fast-food chain or operator struggling.

Recently, Fat Brands announced it was filing for bankruptcy  protection. Fat Brands is the parent company of 18 restaurant chains, including Fatburger, Fazoli’s, Johnny Rockets, Twin Peaks, Smoky Bones, Great American Cookies, Ponderosa, Elevation Burger, Round Table Pizza and Marble Slab Creamery.