New York – Aaron Judge made his long‑awaited return to the New York Yankees on Tuesday night, starting in right field and batting third in the series opener against the Colorado Rockies. The 34‑year‑old power hitter had been sidelined for 99 days, a stretch that coincidentally matched his uniform number.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained that Judge would not play the entire game, noting, “He won’t play the whole game today, even though he wants to. He’ll probably have one of the days this series off.” Boone added that Judge had been eager to return after center‑fielder Trent Grisham strained a hamstring, prompting Boone to consider activating Judge earlier.
Injury Background and Recovery
Judge suffered a broken rib on April 26 while attempting to avoid a collision with second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. during a diving catch attempt in Houston. Before the injury, he was hitting .263 with seven homers and 20 RBIs in 31 games. He later added a single home run in 18 games before landing on the injured list.
During his recovery, Judge took batting practice on Monday’s off‑day and was officially activated that night. Boone coordinated with Judge, strength and conditioning coach Brett McCabe, the athletic training staff, general manager Brian Cashman, and owner Hal Steinbrenner before the decision.
Performance Metrics
Prior to his injury, Judge was posting a .248 batting average with 17 homers, 38 RBIs and a .907 OPS. While he was out, the Yankees’ offensive production dipped, with the team’s batting average falling to .227 and OPS dropping to .681 over 59 games. The club’s average during that span ranked 29th out of 30 MLB teams, just ahead of Seattle.
Boone noted the impact of Judge’s absence on opposing pitchers, citing Statcast data that showed an increase in strike percentages against other Yankees hitters. “There is an effect around him netting better opportunities and better at‑bats for everyone,” Boone said.
Team Standing
With Judge’s return, the Yankees improved to a 81‑62 record, sitting four games behind AL East leader Tampa Bay and two games ahead of Boston for the top AL wild‑card spot. New York also holds a potential tiebreaker over the Red Sox after winning the season series.
Judge’s 2025 season was a career high, batting .331 with 53 homers and 114 RBIs in 152 games, earning his third MVP award and his first batting title.
Other Injury Updates
Reliever Fernando Cruz, who has been out since Aug. 25 with a partial UCL tear, opted against Tommy John surgery after evaluation by a Texas Rangers physician and hopes to pitch again this season. Left‑hander Ryan Weathers is also working toward a return from a left forearm flexor strain that sidelined him since Aug. 22.
Both players expect to resume throwing later this week, with Cruz stating, “If it breaks, it breaks,” and Weathers planning to throw again soon, aiming for a bullpen role in the postseason.
Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.
