With the Colorado Rockies already eliminated, the stakes were not as high during the New York Yankees’ latest homestand. However, all eyes were still on the matchup, as it marked the return of captain Aaron Judge. The Yankees’ captain was sidelined due to a stress fracture for the last three months and missed 84 consecutive games. As the Yankees get their key offensive man on the roster postseason-ready, Cody Bellinger spoke to the media about Judge’s return.
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“It’s always kind of hard to feel that in the moment,” said Bellinger, per SNY Yankees, when he was asked if they are being pitched differently now. “Having him [Judge] in the lineup, the presence alone just is such a huge boost for this team. So it’s kind of hard to see in the moment, but I’m sure in some ways, yeah.”
Aaron Judge suffered a stress fracture in his first right rib in late April and has not played since May 31. Initially thought to be a bone bruise, the Yankees kept him off the IL. However, once MRI results revealed the fracture, the Yankees placed him on the IL, and he spent the last three months recovering and ramping up.
Judge took multiple live batting practice sessions, but skipped a minor league rehab stint to instantly be available for the team.
“Why waste at-bats?” he had remarked while adding, “If I tell them I’m ready to go play, I think we’re ready to go play. I’m not a pitcher; I’m a position player.”
But the Yankees are not going to rush Judge and risk causing any other injuries. They want him healthy for the postseason. So manager Aaron Boone has decided he will not play full games from the get-go. The Yankees want to build up his workload gradually.
During the Yankees’ 6-1 win over the Rockies, Aaron Judge went 2-for-4 before he was pulled from the game. He also scored a run on George Lombard Jr.’s grand slam.
Jasson Dominguez replaced Judge in the lineup for the rest of the game. The day before, Judge went hitless in his three at-bats, and the Yankees pulled him early. Heliot Ramos replaced Judge and hit a three-run home run.
Following Wednesday’s game, the Yankees’ veteran also revealed that he is currently unhappy.
“I feel great… played half a game so I don’t know what to say about that,” Judge reportedly said.
“I respect Booney. So whatever he says I’m gonna do, but not happy about it. But that’s where my guy Ramos picked me up and hit a nice little three-run homer there to kind of put the game out… but yeah, not too happy about it.”
But Judge is not the only player who was recently activated from the injured list.
Cody Bellinger was also sidelined in late July after he suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring injury. The Yankees had initially placed him on the 10-day IL. Before the Yankees reactivated Bellinger in late August, the outfielder spent his time rehabbing in the minor leagues.
Bellinger is under a five-year, $162.5 million contract with the Yankees. On Wednesday, he went 1-for-6 and hit a home run in the bottom of the eighth. Bellinger’s solo homer secured the winning run for the Yankees.
The right-handed starter of the Rockies, Tomiyuki Sugano, faced off against Will Warren on the mound.
Over 6 innings, Warren allowed only 1 earned run to the Rockies. Connor Norby recorded the only scoring play for his team when he hit a solo homer in the fifth. The Rockies stranded 6 runners on base.
The Yankees, on the other hand, based their attack on the Rockies solely on home runs. Sugano allowed 5 runs on 4 hits in 6 innings. While Luis Garcia Jr. and Cody Bellinger recorded solo shots, George Lombard Jr. launched a grand slam. It marked Lombard Jr’s first career grand slam and the first grand slam of the season for the New York Yankees.