Two-time AL MVP Aaron Judge will return to the New York Yankees‘ lineup Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone said after his team’s 8-5 loss in 10 innings Monday night to the Texas Rangers.
Judge, who has not played since July 25, is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list Tuesday after being sidelined because of a flexor strain in his right elbow. The Yankees also will put outfielder Austin Slater on the injured list, according to Boone.
Judge hit off Yankees minor league pitchers at the team’s complex in Tampa, Florida, for the second day in a row Monday before flying to Texas, where he was seen in the dugout during the opener of a three-game series.
Boone said before the game that Judge would be the designated hitter when he returned in Texas. He also said Judge could play catch while in Texas, which would help determine when he could return to the outfield.
“I’m hoping that Judgie’s clean and is playing catch either [Tuesday] or the next day, and we’ll start to get an idea about a timeline for that, and then we’ll see when we get back home what happens there,” Boone said before Monday’s game.
Judge will return to a Yankees team that has lost four straight, including a three-game sweep at Miami. They remain in third in the AL East behind Toronto and Boston with 49 games left in the regular season.
Judge’s .342 batting average still leads the majors, and he is fourth with 37 homers and fifth with 85 RBIs.
Giancarlo Stanton has been the Yankees’ starting DH for all of his 32 games this season. He sat out the first 70 games of the season because of inflammation in the tendons of both elbows, and Boone said he wouldn’t play the outfield in Texas if Judge does DH during the series.
Boone said having Judge back will be good for the team.
“Yeah, he’s Aaron Judge. We know what he means to our lineup and to the guys in the room,” Boone said. “So to get him back, we’re certainly excited about that and then hopefully shortly thereafter, he’s back out in the field, too.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
