NEW YORK -- The Yankees had no game scheduled for Monday, but Yankee Stadium still hosted one of their most important events in months: Aaron Judge swinging a bat, facing live pitching for the first time since late May.
That was nothing compared to the celebratory atmosphere that should accompany the first inning of Tuesday’s contest. Judge was reinstated from the 60-day injured list late Monday, with the captain expected to be in the lineup for the series opener against the Rockies.
It’s a return that, in Judge’s mind, feels long overdue.
“I wanted to be back June 1, but that didn’t happen,” Judge said recently. “I’ll leave it up to the manager when he wants to put me in there.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone had said this past weekend that the three-time American League Most Valuable Player was “close to the endgame of being ready to play,” returning from a right rib stress fracture that has kept Judge out since May 31.
Boone said he has been encouraged by how the club handled Judge’s absence, but there’s no substitute for having his right-handed presence back in the heart of the batting order.
They were 36-23 (.610) when Judge last played; through Sunday, they were 45-39 (.536) without him.
“We’ve had long stretches where the offense has struggled. I think a big part of that is not having your guy,” Boone said. “I also feel like that’s ticked up here in the past couple of weeks, where we’ve really started to play better offensively. We certainly look forward to getting our guy back.”
Judge accompanied the club for their six-game West Coast trip, watching every pitch alongside his teammates in the dugout.
“The guys are rolling, guys are swinging the bat well,” Judge said. “Especially getting a chance to give Spencer [Jones] a little run here in the outfield, which is great. Giving [Heliot] Ramos a chance to get his feet wet in New York a little bit. Whenever [Boone] calls and needs me, I’ll be there.”
Judge was adamant that he did not want to go on a Minor League rehab assignment, explaining, “I don’t see a point. Why waste at-bats?”
Boone has said there are creative ways to build Judge’s stamina; the manager suggested one scenario is “on the table” in which Judge would play for five to seven innings, then exit.
That’s less than ideal, considering the Yankees are in a pennant race, but having Judge back in the lineup for a portion of a game is better than not at all.
“It’s been a while,” Ben Rice said. “We’re all as eager to have him back now as we were right when he went out. It’ll mean a lot to us.”
Cleared to resume baseball activities in August, Judge has progressed from tee-and-toss drills to taking overhand batting practice, including twice on the field during the Yankees’ series in San Diego.
Judge has also been facing velocity on machines, running bases and performing outfield drills; during one such workout Saturday, Judge delivered a one-hop throw to third base from medium-depth right field.
Having Judge move around in his cleats is significant, because given the Yankees’ roster construction, they intend to have him return as the starting right fielder -- not simply as a designated hitter.
Of course, after months of relative inactivity that Judge likened to an extra offseason, it remains to be seen if there will be signs of rust.
“I’m not too worried about the power or bat speed,” Judge said. “I feel like even if it’s a tick off, I still think it’s better than nothing.”
Once he’s back in the outfield, Judge will be encouraged to avoid diving if possible -- the initial injury occurred attempting to catch a pop fly on April 26 at Houston.
“We’ve got to be smart about those things,” Boone said. “He is more selective about that stuff over the past several years, actually.”
Judge said he believes he can perform under control if necessary, but he’ll still be ready to put his body on the line when the games count most.
“We’ll be back out there and continue to play smart,” Judge said, “especially in the rest of this year and then going into the postseason.”