The Rockies walk into Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night with the same assignment every spoiler team gets: make life uncomfortable for a club chasing October. That job got tougher fast when the Yankees announced Aaron Judge is back.
Judge was reinstated from the 60-day injured list ahead of the series opener, ending a three-month absence. The All-Star outfielder and reigning AL MVP is expected to be in the lineup, and Colorado will have to deal with him right away. Before landing on the injured list, Judge had already piled up 17 home runs and 38 RBIs in 59 games.
That puts extra pressure on Gabriel Hughes, who is projected to start for the Rockies. If he gets the ball in the first inning, he could be staring Judge down almost immediately. Hughes enters with a 6.19 ERA across 52.1 innings, so Colorado will be leaning heavily on one pitch in particular: his curveball.
Statcast gives that curveball a 31.4% putaway percentage, and opposing hitters are batting just .182 against it. Hughes also has something to build on from his last outing, when he worked 4.2 innings against the Baltimore Orioles and gave up one run on four hits and two walks.
The Yankees are not the Orioles, but they are not without flaws either. Colorado’s offense will get a crack at Cam Schlittler, who has had an amazing season for New York. Still, Schlittler has been vulnerable to the long ball at times, which gives hitters like Hunter Goodman and TJ Rumfield a path to damage.
Yankee Stadium’s short porch in right field only adds to that possibility. If Goodman and Rumfield don’t leave the yard, the Rockies will need them to find another way to cash in, especially with Judge back and ready to lift a Yankees lineup that already had plenty going for it.
In Other News...
Rockies Reshape Their Infield Before A Brutal Yankees Test
The Rockies shuffled their infield mix ahead of a difficult trip, reinstating Kyle Karros from the seven-day concussion injured list after a short stay on the sidelines. Karros had been out since Aug. 22, cleared concussion protocol and got in two rehab games before rejoining the roster, giving Colorado a chance to restore some stability in the middle of the diamond.
To make room, the club optioned Ryan Ritter to Triple-A Albuquerque after a rough stretch at the plate during Karros absence. For a team trying to steady itself before a brutal Yankees test, the move signals that Colorado is leaning back toward familiarity and hoping Karros can help settle an infield that has been searching for a better rhythm. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Walk Into A Yankees Series Clouded By Aaron Judge Uncertainty
The Rockies are set to open a series in New York with an unusual bit of uncertainty hanging over the matchup: Aaron Judge could be back in the Yankees lineup as soon as Tuesday night, and his return has become the biggest subplot of the trip. Judge has been on the injured list since June 5 with a fractured rib, but he has continued moving forward through batting practice and outfield work, a sign the Yankees are at least preparing for the possibility that their star right fielder is close.
Judge is scheduled to face live pitching at Yankee Stadium on Monday, the final checkpoint before any return decision is made. Still, neither Judge nor manager Aaron Boone has confirmed when he will actually be activated, leaving Colorado to prepare for a series that could either feature one of baseball's most imposing hitters or one more game of waiting. [Read more 🡒]