The New York Yankees activated outfielder Aaron Judge from the disabled list Friday before their game against the Toronto Blue Jays — only there’s a catch.
Judge will be available to run the bases and play the outfield, but the slugger still isn’t ready to hit in a game, according to Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
The outfielder has been sidelined since July 26 due to a chip fracture in his right wrist. He suffered the injury when he was hit by a fastball from Kansas City Royals pitcher Jakob Junis.
According to Boone, the team soon will make a decision on at-bats for Judge in a simulated game. The Yankees’ hope is he’ll work out any kinks before the postseason, as it’s looking more and more like New York will face the Oakland Athletics in the American League Wild Card Game.
The Yankees, who entered Friday trailing the Boston Red Sox by 10 1/2 games in the AL East, hold a 1 1/2-game lead over the A’s for the AL’s first wild-card spot. Oakland, meanwhile, holds an eight-game lead over the Seattle Mariners for the second wild-card spot.
Judge was hitting .285 with 26 home runs, 61 RBIs and a .947 OPS in 99 games before suffering the wrist injury. The 26-year-old is coming off a 2017 season in which he hit .284 with 52 homers, 114 RBIs and a 1.049 OPS en route to earning Rookie of the Year honors and finishing second in AL MVP voting.
