Aaron Judge returns Tuesday after 84-game absence

A right first-rib stress fracture kept him out since May 31.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Sep 81 min read

Thoughts on Aaron Judge’s long-awaited return after missing 84 games due to a rib injury ⚾️ (via Baseball-Bar-B-Cast) h Via @YahooSports on X

What happened: The Yankees activated Aaron Judge on Monday for the series opener against Colorado after he faced live pitching at Yankee Stadium. He bypassed a minor-league rehabilitation assignment following a late-season workout progression.

Why it matters: New York enters Tuesday 81-62, four games off the AL East lead and 8.5 games above the playoff cutoff. The remaining 19 games give its captain a short runway to regain timing before October.

By the numbers: Judge hit .248/.375/.533 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs in 59 games before the injury. His 84-game absence exceeded his season appearances by 25.

What to watch: His workload and defensive innings during the six-game homestand will show how aggressively New York plans to use him.

Sources

@YahooSports 2026-09-08T02:31:57.022733+00:00

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