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New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is poised to return after being on the 10-day injured list.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone officially confirmed Judge's return to the lineup after Monday's latest debacle, per ESPN. The Yankees are in the midst of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers and just lost their fourth consecutive game, 8-5, with another bullpen meltdown.
“Judge tomorrow,” Boone said.
Judge has been out since July 25 due to a strain in his elbow. Meanwhile, the Yankees have struggled ever since.
Beginning on June 13, New York has gone 18-28. As a result, they have dropped to third place in the American League East at 60-53 and are 5.5 games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.
All the while, Boone recognizes the vulnerable position his team is in.
“Doesn't matter,” he said. “Nobody cares how stressful it is, or that's all just noise, excuses, whatever. We've got to play better, and we've got to win, and we know that.”
As for Judge, he is batting .342 with 37 home runs and 85 RBIs. He also has a 1.160 OPS and an OBP of .449. Judge leads the American League in batting average and OPS.
The Yankees with and without Aaron Judge
Overall, the Yankees don't do well in Judge's absence. In 2023, they were 31-19 when he is in the lineup. However, they were 21-28 without him. This year, the Yankees are 4-5 without Judge's presence.
Overall, the Yankees are 197-174 with Judge in the lineup, per StatMuse. Altogether, New York scores more runs, hit for higher average, and has a high on-base percentage with him. He brings plenty of power and consistency to the batting order. Without that, New York falls into “survival mode” in trying to fill that void.
At this point in time, Judge's return provides a much-needed sigh of relief.
