Aaron Judge made his long-awaited return to the New York Yankees lineup on Tuesday night against the Colorado Rockies, but the slugger’s first game back from a right rib stress fracture ended without a hit.
Judge had been sidelined since May 31 because of the injury. Batting third and playing right field, he struck out swinging in his first at-bat, flied out in his second, and struck out looking in his third. Manager Aaron Boone removed him from the game after six defensive innings, finishing the night 0-for-3.
The Yankees won anyway, 5-3, thanks to a three-run home run from Heliot Ramos in the bottom of the eighth inning. Ramos hit the ball with two runners on base while batting in the spot Judge had vacated earlier in the game.
Judge had pushed to rejoin the active roster quickly as the Yankees try to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East. The team is treating this series as a limited return meant to manage his workload rather than a full-scale comeback.
New York had struggled at the plate during the 84 games Judge missed, hitting .227 as a team over that stretch. His activation had been anticipated by fans hoping his presence in the lineup would help turn around the offense.
Tuesday’s opening night back did not produce the offensive spark some fans expected from Judge personally, though the team still came away with the win.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login