The Yankees may be on the verge of getting their biggest bat back.
Aaron Judge, sidelined since June 5 with a fractured rib, could be in the lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against the Colorado Rockies, though neither he nor manager Aaron Boone would say for sure. Judge has been out since the injury and the Yankees have gone 45-38 without him after starting the season 36-23.
The next checkpoint comes Monday, when Judge is set to face live pitching at Yankee Stadium, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. That would be another important step in a rehab process that has mostly stayed in-house. Over the past few weeks, Judge has been hitting off the tee, taking batting practice, running in the outfield and going through outfield drills.
Judge has made it clear he would rather avoid a minor league rehab assignment, and he sounded encouraged about where his swing stands now.
“I wanted to be back June 1, but that didn’t happen,” Judge said. “I’ll leave it up to the manager when he wants to put me in there," Judge told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, who reported that Judge will face live pitching at Yankee Stadium on Monday.
“I’m not too worried about the power or bat speed,” Judge told Hoch. “I feel like even if it’s a tick off, I still think it’s better than nothing.”
Getting Judge back on Tuesday would still leave the Yankees with more than two weeks of regular-season games before the postseason.
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 🡒]