Judge Returns After 99 Days, Goes 0-3 in Yankees Win — SkimNews
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- Aaron Judge returned after 99 days on the injured list with a rib stress fracture, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a flyout across six innings before being pulled with the Yankees leading 2-1.
- Heliot Ramos, who replaced Judge in right field, cracked a game-breaking three-run homer in the eighth inning that turned a 2-1 lead into a 5-3 cushion.
- Aaron Judge openly expressed displeasure at being removed, telling reporters "I'm not happy about it" after a visible dugout discussion with manager Aaron Boone.
- Boone said the Yankees plan to cap Judge's workload — no full nine-inning games and a rest day either Wednesday or Thursday — with the club prioritizing his health for October over regular-season production.
- During Judge's absence, the Yankees went 45-39 and ranked 26th in MLB in runs scored, a steep drop from their 36-24 record and fourth-place scoring ranking before he went on the IL.
- The win didn't shift the standings: the Tampa Bay Rays remain four games ahead in the AL East with 18 to play, while the Boston Red Sox fell to three games back for the top wild-card spot.
Why it matters: The Yankees' offense cratered from 4th to 26th in MLB scoring without Judge, and now the club is throttling his innings despite trailing Tampa Bay by four games with 18 to play. Judge's visible frustration at being pulled from a game his team was winning spotlights a live tension between player and front office over how to manage the final stretch with October looming.
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