Just days ago, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal floated the possibility of Aaron Judge skipping a rehab assignment altogether. Now, that part is real. Judge is officially back on the Yankees’ active roster. But for fans who have waited more than three months to see their captain again, there is still one frustrating detail: his place in the lineup against the Rockies on September 8 at 7:05 p.m. ET has not been confirmed yet. The Yankees finally have Judge back. Now everyone just wants to know when he is actually stepping into the box.

“Aaron Judge makes everybody in that lineup better from the jump,” Sean Casey said in the recent episode of MLB Tonight on MLB Network. “And like I said, even if he struggles out those first couple games, like a little spring training, it’s okay. Because him being back makes everybody better.”

Judge may have missed 84 games, but he was never completely away from the Yankees.

He was spotted in the dugout during the June 30 game against the Tigers, was back on the Yankee Stadium field before the August 5 matchup with the Cardinals for light running and resistance work, and later traveled with the club on its West Coast trip as his rehab picked up. Judge himself made that clear when explaining why he did not think a minor-league rehab assignment was necessary.

“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. I can get my reps down here in the cage. I’m in every game. I’m sitting there in the dugout watching every game, feeling the environment, feeling the energy, so I don’t think there’s going to be much of a difference.”

Then, on September 7, Judge was spotted at the US Open watching Coco Gauff face Iva Jovic. Fine for a night out. But after many missed games, Yankees fans would rather see their captain in the box against the Rockies than in the stands at Arthur Ashe.

And that impatience is understandable.

The Yankees were 36-23 through Judge’s final game on May 31, batting .243 with a .770 OPS. Over the 84 games without him, they went 45-39, while the offense dropped to a .227 average and a .681 OPS. That .227 mark ranked 29th in MLB, and New York also ranked 26th in runs scored during that stretch. The Yankees stayed in the AL East race, but the offensive drop showed how much they missed Judge.

Manager Aaron Boone praised the Yankees for holding the fort without Judge, but admitted there is no real replacement for their captain.

Judge had not played since May 31 while recovering from a stress fracture in his right first rib, an injury he traces back to a diving attempt in Houston on April 26. His recovery took more than three months, but he steadily progressed from running and strength work to batting practice before finally facing live pitching on September 7.

Now the focus shifts to what he can give them. Judge is hitting .248 with a .907 OPS this season, and Sean Casey believes New York can still make a late push. “They’re right where they need to be. They could still make a run at this division if they get hot.”

Judge is not worried about being perfect immediately. “I’m not too worried about the power or bat speed,” he said. “I feel like even if it’s a tick off, I still think it’s better than nothing.”

The biggest question now is how quickly the Yankees can ramp up his workload.