Aaron Judge Could Rejoin Yankees Tuesday After Live Pitching Test
The New York Yankees may have their three-time MVP back in the lineup as soon as Tuesday, September 8, when they open a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium. Aaron Judge, who has been on the injured list since June 5 with a fractured rib, is scheduled to face live pitching on Monday, September 7, at an empty Yankee Stadium. If that session goes well, manager Aaron Boone did not rule out Judge’s immediate activation for the series opener.
“I don’t know,” Boone said with a smile when asked about Judge’s Tuesday return, as reported by The Athletic. Judge himself, however, has made it clear he prefers to skip a minor league rehab assignment altogether. “I wanted to be back June 1, but that didn’t happen,” Judge told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “I’ll leave it up to the manager when he wants to put me in there.”
The Yankees have gone 45-38 without Judge since his injury. At the time he went down, the team was 36-23, and now they sit 81-61, four games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East with just 20 games remaining. The division race is critical: the Yankees hold a slim 15.6% chance of catching the Rays, according to FanGraphs, and the two teams meet for a pivotal four-game set later this month.
Context: What Judge’s Return Means for the Yankees’ Playoff Push
Judge’s absence has been felt deeply in the Yankees’ lineup. In 59 games this season, the 34-year-old right fielder has slashed .248/.375/.533 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs. While those numbers are below his usual MVP-caliber standard, they would provide an immediate boost to a struggling offense that has managed only 45 wins in 83 games without him.
The stakes are high, not just for the division title but for postseason positioning. The Yankees are in second place in the AL East, and while they are likely to secure a wild-card spot (their playoff odds remain strong per FanGraphs), home-field advantage and a division crown would be valuable. The Rays have been formidable, and the Yankees know they need Judge at his best for a deep October run.
Judge has been progressing gradually over recent weeks. He has hit off a tee, taken batting practice, run in the outfield, and performed defensive drills. He told Hoch, “I’m not too worried about the power or bat speed. I feel like even if it’s a tick off, I still think it’s better than nothing.”
The Rehab Dilemma: No Minor League Assignment, So What Are the Risks?
Judge’s refusal to go on a rehab assignment—a decision he has reiterated multiple times—presents a unique challenge for the Yankees. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, speaking on his “Fair Territory” show on September 6, outlined his concern. “The worst thing that could happen would be if Aaron Judge plays for a week on and off, incomplete games, complete games, whatever, and then pulls some kind of lower-leg muscle, an oblique, whatever the case might be, and then you lose him for the whole season,” Rosenthal said. “They’ve got to proceed with caution, but they don’t want to be that cautious either and handle him like he’s some piece of fine china.”
Without a rehab assignment, Judge has not experienced game conditions—which include the physical toll of playing the outfield, base running, and the intensity of live at-bats—since his last game on May 31. Boone has hinted at a creative approach: starting Judge for five to seven innings and then substituting for him, or playing him full games but giving him the next day off. This would effectively use the Rockies series as a major league rehab stint. Rosenthal also emphasized that even standing and running in right field carries a physical toll that cannot be replicated in batting practice.
The Yankees have also kept Judge’s recovery progress under tight wraps, a pattern that has frustrated fans but is typical for the team. Whether Judge returns Tuesday or later in the homestand against the New York Mets (Sept. 11-13), he will have at least two weeks of regular season action before the postseason.
What This Means for the Yankees’ Division Race and Beyond
The timing of Judge’s return could not be more critical. The Yankees have just 19 games left after Monday, and their margin for error is slim. They trail the Rays by four games, and with a head-to-head series looming, every win matters. Judge’s presence in the lineup would force opposing pitchers to pitch to him, which could also unlock opportunities for other hitters in the Yankees’ order. His leadership and on-field experience are also invaluable in a tight September race.
But the larger implication is that the Yankees are walking a tightrope between urgency and caution. Judge is under contract through 2031, and the team needs him healthy for the long term. Yet a deep postseason run—and the chance to overtake the Rays—requires him now. The solution the Yankees choose in the coming week could set the tone for their entire playoff approach.
Baseball history is full of examples of players returning from injury without rehab assignments, and the results have been mixed. For every seamless comeback, there is another that ends in a setback. Rosenthal noted that the challenge is real, and the Yankees must be both creative and disciplined.
If Judge does return Tuesday, it will be a remarkable feat: just three months and a week after a fractured rib, he would be back in the lineup without having faced a single minor league pitch. Whether he can recover his MVP form quickly remains to be seen, but the Yankees are betting that even a slightly diminished Judge is better than none. As the team looks to close the gap on the Rays, all eyes will be on the right fielder’s first swing.
For more on the Yankees’ season and other MLB developments, check out Mets Recall Jonah Tong for Monday Start, Eyes on Rotation Future. And for a broader look at how title races are shaping up across sports, explore our Ballon d'Or 2026 Nominees: Live Updates and Key Dates.
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