After over three months on the injured list, Aaron Judge is back in action.  The Yankees announced that Judge has been reinstated from the 60-day IL, in advance of New York’s game with the Rockies on Tuesday.  Right-hander Elmer Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A yesterday, and right-hander Chase Hampton was designated to create room for Judge on the 40-man roster (even though the Yankees already had an open 40-man slot).

The right rib stress fracture that led to Judge’s long absence is thought to have been caused on April 26, as Judge said he was hurt after trying to make a diving catch in right field.  He continued to play through the discomfort for over a month, which likely explains the underwhelming .528 OPS Judge posted in the 57 plate appearances before his IL placement.  Judge’s last game was on May 31, and New York placed him on the 15-day IL three days later.

Initially projected for an absence of 4-6 weeks, Judge ended up missing over half the season due to lingering soreness that delayed his ability to begin full baseball activities.  The move to the 60-day IL on July 18 ensured that Judge wouldn’t be back until at least the start of August, yet it was still another month before the slugger was given the green light to return to the lineup.

The apparent final step came today, when Judge took part in a live batting-practice session at Yankee Stadium.  Judge has long downplayed the need for a minor league rehab assignment, so despite the long layoff, he’ll head right into game action on Tuesday.

Some ease-in element is still in play, as manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner) over the weekend that Judge will likely not immediately be used in a full everyday capacity.  “Maybe it’s playing a game, having an off day.  Maybe it is playing 5, 6, 7 innings in a game and get him out.  Those things are on the table,” Boone said.

The Yankees are four games behind the Rays for the AL East lead, with four more head-to-head games still remaining.  While the division title is still a possibility, New York is also trying to stay ahead of the Red Sox for the top AL wild card slot (and thus homefield advantage in the Wild Card Series).  Though the Yankees’ exact spot in the playoff bracket is still up in the air, New York is all but guaranteed a postseason berth, so the team’s priority in regards to Judge is simply making sure that the three-time AL MVP is fully healthy for October.

New York had a 36-23 record when Judge went on the injured list, and the team has gone 45-39 without its best player.  Much of the credit for this continued success goes to the Yankees’ excellent rotation and bullpen, as the team’s offense has almost vanished in the last three-plus months.  Since June 1, the Yankees have hit a collective .227/.295/.385, and only the Angels have a worse team wRC+ than the Yankees’ 90 wRC+ in that stretch.

While such notable bats as Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham remain on the IL, getting Judge back is far and away the most critical factor in New York’s ability to launch a serious World Series run.  The Yankees’ pitching has been so good that it’s not out of the question that the team could squeak out a lot of low-scoring games en route to a championship, but obviously having Judge in the lineup elevates the entire roster.

More to come…