Yankees' Aaron Judge is back | Answering all the questions after surprise return

Posted September 15, 2018 at 06:03 AM | Updated September 15, 2018 at 06:05 AM

Blue Jays Yankees Baseball

Bill Kostroun | AP

Randy Miller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

NEW YORK — Aaron Judge was amazed and appreciative Friday night hearing Yankees fans respond when his long-awaited return came in the eighth inning of a blowout win as a defensive replacement in right field.

“They turn Yankee Stadium alive,’ he said. “It’s amazing what those fans do.”

During and after his long standing ovation, Judge was nervous.

He’d been on the disabled list with a chip fracture in his right wrist for 50 days, so this two-inning cameo at the tail end of the Yankees’ 11-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays kind of felt like Opening Day to him.

Judge wished that he could have had an at-bat, but the Yankees weren’t going to allow that.

Not yet.

His surprise activation from the disabled list on Friday came with a condition at least through this weekend:

The Yankees think Judge is good to go as a right fielder and pinch-hitter, but not yet as a hitter.

Why isn’t Judge ready to hit?

Is he healthy or not?

How soon will Judge be ready to start games?

Which outfielder sits when Judge returns?

Here are the answers to all of those questions are others

Blue Jays Yankees Baseball

Bill Kostroun | AP

Why was Judge activated from the DL on Friday?

Momentum finally started building last weekend for Judge getting off the disabled list and back in the Yankees’ lineup.

Just being medically cleared to pick up a bat was big progress.

Taking swings on underhanded soft tosses was a step.

Bigger steps were taking batting practice for the first time since getting hurt, feeling no pain and then repeating the process for a few days.

With the Yankees’ being secretive about their plans until Friday, it was assumed that the next and seemingly final steps for Judge to come off the DL would be making more progress toward getting his timing back as a hitter.

Judge would have to hit fastballs in a batting cage, then getting some at-bats in simulated games before returning.

The Yankees had other plans.

Even Judge was surprised on Friday afternoon when he was called into a meeting and told his 50-day DL stint was over and he’d be an available player for Friday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

There was a condition to this return:

Judge’s only potential game action at least for this weekend would be as a pinch-runner and/or defensive replacement.

“I was excited to get back out there and be on the field and be back with the team,” Judge said.

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