The Captain Is Back in the Building

The New York Yankees reinstated Aaron Judge from the 60-day injured list on September 7, and the timing is impossible to miss. Judge is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday against the Rockies after about three months away with a right rib stress fracture.

The Yankees did not need a ceremonial boost. They needed the middle of their lineup back. New York was 36-23 when Judge last played and 45-39 without him through Sunday, while ranking 26th in the majors in runs during the time he was away. Those numbers do not make Judge a one-man repair crew, but they do explain why the building suddenly feels louder.

The Return Comes With a Meter

Judge did not take a minor-league rehab assignment. He progressed from tee work to overhand batting practice, ran the bases and worked in the outfield before the Yankees activated him. Manager Aaron Boone has discussed using five to seven innings as one possible way to build Judge’s stamina.

That plan is sensible and inconvenient, which is a very Yankees way to re-enter a pennant race. The club wants Judge’s bat and intends to use him in right field, but the first week back may be about accumulating baseball rather than pretending the missed summer never happened.

Grisham Changes the Outfield Question

Judge’s return arrives just as Trent Grisham moves to the 10-day injured list with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain. The Yankees’ latest injury report says a regular-season return is uncertain, leaving New York to balance Judge’s workload while reshaping the outfield around him.

That makes the move more complicated than a simple star-rejoins-lineup headline. Judge restores an elite presence, but the roster still has to cover the innings and defensive responsibilities Grisham leaves behind. Spencer Jones has filled in at center field, and Jasson Domínguez is back with the major-league club.

The Desk Has Ruled

The Run-Production Context is blunt: New York ranked 26th in MLB in runs from June 1 through Sunday without Judge. His return should improve the Yankees’ ceiling immediately, but the next argument is workload, not welcome-back confetti.

The captain is back. The season is still asking for a full lineup.