#‘Stiff’ Aaron Judge misses another Yankees simulated game

While Aaron Judge was held out of the Yankees’ simulated game for a second straight day with a stiff neck, Giancarlo Stanton said he’s making progress with his calf and feels good at the plate.

According to manager Aaron Boone, Judge got more treatment Sunday and was “still a little stiff.”

“It’s just something we don’t want to push at this point,’’ Boone said. “He’s gotten a lot of work and at-bats to this point. He’s doing a little better, but still stiff.”

Judge is coming back from a fractured rib that sidelined him in spring training, but he said he would be ready for Opening Day of the upcoming 60-game season, July 23 in Washington.

The Yankees don’t have a sim game Monday and Boone remains optimistic Judge will return Tuesday.

As for Stanton, he’ll open the year solely as a DH, but is working in the outfield during batting practice.

At the plate, he said he’s getting his timing down and is dealing with the oddities of spring training 2.0 as well as he can.

“It’s just a matter of, ‘Are you worried about everything else, the empty stadium and no one here or are you trying to get better and locking in?’ ” Stanton said. “It’s a matter of handling distractions, even though in this case, nothing around would be a distraction.”

Asked if his experience playing in front of small crowds in Miami with the Marlins will be similar to a lack of fans this season, Stanton said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s a little. A little helps more than none. … At the end of the day, with hitting, it’s you and the pitcher. If you let anything get in the way of that, you’re not focused enough already.”