Yankees Activate Aaron Judge After Three-Month Injury Absence

What happened

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The New York Yankees activated Aaron Judge from the injured list on Monday, clearing their captain to return for Tuesday's series opener against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium. MLB.com reports that Judge faced live pitching at the ballpark on the team's scheduled day off, his first such session since late May, before the club completed the roster move.

Judge had not appeared in a game since May 31. The three-time American League Most Valuable Player was sidelined by a stress fracture in his right first rib, an injury linked to a diving catch in late April. He initially continued playing before the Yankees shut him down, turning what first looked like a manageable issue into an absence of more than three months.

The return follows a deliberately staged buildup. Judge resumed baseball activity, progressed to cage work and then took on-field batting practice during the Yankees' recent trip to San Diego. The final checkpoint was seeing live velocity. He completed that test in New York and will rejoin the lineup without a Minor League rehabilitation assignment, an approach he had publicly favored during the later stages of his recovery.

Why it matters

Judge returns as the Yankees enter the decisive stretch of the American League playoff race. Before the injury, he was batting .248 with a .375 on-base percentage and a .533 slugging percentage across 59 games. He had hit 17 home runs and driven in 38 runs, production that remained central to New York's offensive identity even in a season interrupted before the halfway point.

His impact extends beyond the middle of the order. Restoring Judge gives manager Aaron Boone another elite power threat, lengthens the lineup around New York's other run producers and reduces the pressure on replacements who absorbed his plate appearances. It also gives the Yankees time to evaluate how frequently he can play right field rather than serving as the designated hitter.

Tournament impact

The timing creates an immediate runway before a prominent Subway Series against the Mets beginning Friday. First comes a three-game home set with Colorado, offering Judge and the Yankees a chance to rebuild game rhythm without sending him away for rehabilitation games. Every win matters now, and the club is effectively adding its most consequential hitter for the final weeks without making another transaction for outside help.

What to watch

The first questions will concern timing at the plate after the long layoff and how aggressively Judge moves in the outfield. The Yankees can manage his workload through designated-hitter days while monitoring his response to consecutive games. His power numbers will attract attention, but the more important early indicators may be swing decisions, comfort against high velocity and whether he finishes games without physical setbacks.

Judge's activation is not a guarantee that he will immediately reproduce his pre-injury form. It does, however, change the shape of New York's stretch run. With the captain available again, the Yankees can enter their final regular-season push with the centerpiece of their lineup back in place.