Could Aaron Judge return to Yankees' lineup on Tuesday? Signs are pointing to it

New York Times

a day ago

ARLINGTON, TEXAS — The struggling New York Yankees hope to get a boost by activating Aaron Judge (right flexor tendon strain) off the injured list Tuesday.
Manager Aaron Boone wouldn't commit to bringing back Judge for the second game against the Rangers at Globe Life Field, saying that he needed to first speak with the 33-year-old star slugger. But all signs pointed to a return for the Yankees' captain.
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'I don't want to say (it's) definite because I haven't seen him yet,' Boone said before Monday's game. 'But I think that's the plan. I think he's expected in here tonight. We'll make that call.'
Boone left some wiggle room, saying 'it could be (Tuesday), could be the next day' when the Yankees face the Rangers on Wednesday afternoon in the series finale. The Yankees are off Thursday.
Judge was expected to fly to Texas from Tampa, where he had been working out at the team's player development complex, taking at-bats and receiving treatment.
'Know what he means to our lineup, to the guys in the room,' Boone said. 'To get him back, we'll be certainly excited about that, and hopefully shortly thereafter he's back in the field.'
This appears to be the first play where Judge was noticeably in some pain pic.twitter.com/KfPKZxwuwo
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 26, 2025
Judge is expected to DH when he returns until he goes through a throwing program and is symptom-free. Judge hasn't started throwing yet, but could begin Tuesday or Wednesday.
The move will essentially relegate designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton to bench bat duty. The Yankees won't be ready for him to try to play the outfield again — something he hasn't done since 2023 — while they're in Texas, Boone said. He also didn't commit to it happening when the team returns to Yankee Stadium starting Friday. Stanton didn't work out in the outfield prior to Monday's game, though he took ground balls over the weekend in Miami.
The Yankees need Judge badly. They are 4-5 since Judge last played on July 25. They were swept for the first time in franchise history by the Miami Marlins over the weekend. They went into Monday in third place in the American League East, 4 1/2 games back of the first-place Toronto Blue Jays. They also were a half-game up for first place in the wild-card standings.
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Judge leads MLB with a 1.160 OPS and a .342 batting average. He's fourth with 37 home runs.
Judge first felt pain in his flexor tendon on a throw when the Yankees were playing in Toronto about two weeks ago, and then TV cameras captured him grimacing in pain after another throw. In the last game he played, he was unable to throw the ball hard back from right field, instead choosing to lob it into the infield.