The Red Sox have spent the past week doing exactly what they needed to do, piling up wins and tightening the race in the American League East. Then the Yankees got Aaron Judge back.
New York reinstated Judge from the 60-day injured list Monday night, bringing the three-time American League MVP back after he had been sidelined since May 31 with a stress fracture in his right rib. The injury was first described as a bone bruise. Judge is expected to return without a minor league rehab assignment as the Yankees open a home series against the Colorado Rockies.
That matters plenty in Boston, where the Red Sox have won five straight to reach 80-65 and climb to 15 games over .500 for the first time this season. Entering Tuesday, they were six games behind the Tampa Bay Rays and two back of New York in the division, according to MLB’s official standings.
Judge missed 84 games, but the damage he can do to a game doesn’t disappear just because he was out. Before the injury, he was hitting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs in 59 games. Those numbers were well below the monster seasons he’s known for, but even at less than peak production, his bat changes how pitchers have to work.
Opposing teams can’t just pitch around the rest of the lineup and hope for the best. Judge forces decisions. He alters the shape of an inning before he even steps in the box, and one swing can flip everything in a hurry.
The Yankees managed to stay in postseason position without him, which makes this return a very different kind of boost than trying to salvage a sinking season. Now they’re adding him back to a team that’s already in the mix.
There are still some unknowns. Judge has been out long enough that timing could be an issue, especially since he’s returning straight to major league pitching without a rehab assignment.
New York also has to figure out how often he can handle the outfield. If the Yankees use him as the designated hitter, they can protect his legs, but it also affects how they manage the rest of the roster.
For Boston, the focus stays the same: keep winning. The Red Sox can only control their own schedule, and their recent surge has put real pressure back on New York. They’ll try to keep that going against the Los Angeles Angels after a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles and Monday’s series-opening win over Los Angeles.
The challenge now is obvious. Boston is chasing a division rival that just added one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball without making a trade or giving up a prospect.
Judge’s return doesn’t end the Red Sox’s push. It just makes the climb steeper.
In Other News...
Red Sox Prospect Is Easing One Big Adley Rutschman Trade Fear
Hayden Mullins has been one of the quieter bright spots in the aftermath of Bostons Aug. 3 deal for Adley Rutschman, and the pitching prospect is doing his part to ease some of the early anxiety that followed the move. Mullins has continued piling up solid outings, trimming his season ERA and giving the Red Sox a better-looking strikeout-to-walk ratio as he settles into the stretch run.
The encouraging part for Boston is that Mullins has not just been serviceable, he has been consistently effective, which matters when a trade of that size invites instant second-guessing. The other side of the equation has been encouraging too, since the players Boston received in the swap have also turned in strong work in Baltimores system, leaving the deal in a place where both clubs can point to early returns and still wonder how it will age. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Face A Tough Ranger Suarez Decision At The Worst Time
Bostons rotation has started to show the strain that tends to surface in September, with a few starters wobbling in recent outings and the group lacking the crispness it had earlier in the year. That is what makes the conversation around Ranger Suarez so tricky. The Red Sox need stability, but they also need to decide how much weight to give a pitchers recent form versus the kind of track record that can matter most once the games tighten up.
Jonathan Papelbon has already made clear where he stands, saying he would leave Suarez out of a playoff rotation because of the way things have gone lately. Still, Suarez brings something Boston cannot ignore if the club is building a postseason plan for October: he has been effective in the playoffs before, with a strong ERA and WHIP that suggest a starter who can handle pressure when it matters most. The Red Sox are being asked to choose between what they have seen recently and what Suarez has shown in bigger moments, and that is not an easy call this time of year. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Bullpen Just Took A Late-Season Turn Fans Feared
Justin Slaten had only just started to throw again in his recovery before the right elbow inflammation symptoms flared up and shut him back down. For a Red Sox bullpen that has managed to keep its performance in a strong place, the setback is a reminder that late-season stability can change quickly, especially when one of the relievers the club hoped to count on is not able to build any momentum.
The encouraging part for Boston is that Tanner Houck and Garrett Crochet are both moving ahead in rehab assignments, giving the staff at least a chance to get reinforcements later on. Slatens return, though, is now far less certain than it was even a short time ago, and for a bullpen that has been one of the teams quiet strengths, his situation is becoming one of the more important health stories to watch. [Read more 🡒]