Aaron Judge Activated from 60-Day IL, Set to Return to Yankees' Outfield vs. Rockies

The New York Yankees activated Aaron Judge from the 60-day injured list Monday night, putting their captain in position to return for Tuesday’s series opener against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium. Judge is expected to go back to right field, not just serve as a designated hitter, though the club plans to manage his workload after roughly three months out.

That makes Judge’s return more than a routine roster move. He is the Yankees’ biggest star and the franchise’s 16th captain, a title he received in December 2022, and he is rejoining the lineup in September after missing 83 games. New York went 45-38 in that stretch, staying afloat without one of the sport’s most important middle-of-the-order bats.

The Yankees moved quickly to get him back on the active roster. Judge did not go on a minor league rehab assignment before being reinstated, and he faced live pitching Monday at Yankee Stadium for the first time since the injury. Manager Aaron Boone said the team is weighing several managed-use options as Judge returns to the outfield, including shorter appearances of five to seven innings before coming out. “We’ve got to be smart about those things,” Boone said.

The injury dates to April 26 in Houston, when Judge tried to catch a pop fly and later was found to have a right rib stress fracture. He was placed on the injured list around June 5, with some team transaction reports listing the move as retroactive to June 2, and he was transferred to the 60-day IL in mid-July. Judge resumed baseball activities in August and progressed through hitting, defensive work and baserunning before being activated. He also traveled with the team on its just-completed six-game West Coast trip and stayed engaged from the dugout.

At the time he went on the injured list, Judge was batting .248 with a .375 on-base percentage and a .533 slugging percentage, with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs. Those numbers underscored what the Yankees were missing: a power hitter who also anchors the lineup’s patience and presence. Even so, the club now appears intent on balancing that impact with caution, especially because the return will come in the field rather than in a more limited designated hitter role.

That practical approach framed Judge’s own comments as he prepared to come back. “I’m not too worried about the power or bat speed,” he said Monday. “I feel like even if it’s a tick off, I still think it’s better than nothing.”