Aug 23, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees injured right fielder Aaron Judge (99) warms up before the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Labor Day could be Aaron Judge’s final hurdle before he returns to work.
The New York Yankees’ superstar slugger faced live pitching on Monday during an off-day in the Bronx. Should he come out of it OK, there is a chance that he will be activated off the IL and be back in the Bronx Bombers’ lineup by Tuesday — his first game since May 31, when he fractured his rib.
As usual, manager Aaron Boone is keeping it all close to the vest.
“I don’t know,” Boone said with a grin while talking to reporters in San Diego on Sunday. “We’ll see.”
Evidence suggests, though, that Monday’s work is the final step of an arduous rehab process. Judge has made it known that he does not want to participate in a traditional rehab assignment, which features minor-league games. That would push his return date back even further, and every day without their captain makes it that much harder to catch the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot in the American League East.
With 19 games to go, New York is four games back of the division lead.
Without a rehab assignment, though, Judge will have to build up his stamina in the big leagues, and that means that he will not be available every day from the jump.
Boone said that he could play Judge for “five, six, or seven” innings, and then give him a rest. If he were to play a full nine innings, he would then get the next day off. Such an approach is the most logical and safest route to take. Every swing and throw forces the shoulder and core muscles to pull against the healing rib, which is the first on his right side.
While the approach might puzzle some, the schedule is helping make this potential decision all the easier. The Rockies are the worst team in the National League, and the Yankees should have no issues taking care of them with or without Judge. That allows the two-time defending AL MVP to treat this as an impromptu rehab assignment in the majors, and he could be ready for a heavier workload by the start of this weekend’s Subway Series in the Bronx against the Mets.
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