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 is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list Tuesday after being sidelined because of a flexor strain in his right elbow. He hasn’t played since July 25. The Yankees also will place 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 will be the designated hitter when he returns in Texas.
He also said Judge could play catch while in Texas, which will 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 was still the best in the majors going into Monday’s games. He was 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 missed 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.
