All Rise,?Aaron Judge is back. The New York Yankees captain returned to Camden Yards on Friday, July 28. The Bronx team activated him just in time for an essential series against AL East toppers and division rivals, the Baltimore Orioles. And yet, relying heavily on one player also had a hefty cost.

Playing his first game since June 3, when he injured his toe at Dodger Stadium, Judge was slotted into the DH role, batting second. However, baseball fans had to wait another few hours as rain delayed the match-up. Nevertheless, the Yankees’ defense performed well in?Gerrit Cole, but the offense fell short. Yet again, despite the beloved captain’s return.

The Return of Aaron Judge Gets Spoiled by O’s Victory

It’s easy to mark the trajectory of the Yankees’ wins and losses with and without Aaron Judge in the lineup. It’s astonishing how thoroughly they relied on him to pull the team back up, this one-person army.

However, his first outing in almost two months was disappointing as the Yankees fell to the Orioles, 0-1.

Judge went 0-for-1 with three walks as he admitted he wasn’t feeling his best.??My biggest concern was that I didn?t want to come back and make it worse, and then this is something that leads into next year and the following year,? he told Bryan Hoch.

?We?re at a point where, talking with a couple of doctors, the ligament is stable. The last couple of MRIs didn?t really show much healing, but this one did. We?re in a really good spot right now,? he added.

READ MORE – Amid Toe Injury Recovery, Yankees Captain Aaron Judge May Be Back With ?Teacherman? Who Helped Him Become AL MVP Caliber Hitter

Hoch also revealed that the outfielder will wear a special protective shield on his right shoe to reduce the chances of worsening an injury that still might require offseason surgery. And yet, while many had high expectations upon his return, it was a disappointing loss.

New York Yankees Fans Are Once Again Discontented

For the AL East-leading O’s, one would expect a better score, but Gerrit Cole was in prime shape. He threw seven shutout innings on 110 pitches, only allowing three hits and no walks, as well as striking out five.

But the magnificent performance was wasted as the Yankees’ offense did not rally for a victory.

Some realized that Judge was not at his best and should not have been activated, while one pointed out how he was still the biggest threat despite not having played in weeks.

https://twitter.com/yankfan4life56/status/1685134479654821888?s=20

Some cursed the fact that Cole’s efforts were wasted.

https://twitter.com/Reedh98/status/1685142334814523392?s=20

It was the first performance after a while so maybe fans can cut Judge some slack. Hopefully, the next two games against the O’ will go better.

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