Add The New York Post on Google Aaron Judge is in The Bronx this week and not Somerset, which means there are some concessions he is going to have to make, no matter how much he hates them.
A day after the Yankees captain made it clear he was “not happy” to be pulled after six innings Tuesday night, in his first game in 100 days because of a right rib stress fracture without going on a rehab assignment, Judge was back in the Yankees lineup in right field Wednesday.
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But there was a decent chance Aaron Boone was not going to play him for a full nine innings again, and Judge could potentially be out of the lineup altogether for Thursday’s series finale against the Rockies as the Yankees try to build him up smartly coming off a three-month layoff.
“He told me that during the game [that he wasn’t happy about coming out], too, and the day before,” manager Aaron Boone said with a grin Wednesday afternoon. “So I know that. And that’s OK. I like the fact that he wants to be in there because he’s feeling good.”
Still, Judge’s outward frustration was not expected to dissuade the Yankees from doing what they think is best to keep him healthy down the stretch, even though they are up against the clock to chase down the Rays for the division.
Aaron Judge strikes out swinging in the first inning of the Yankees-Rockies game on Sept. 9, 2026 at the Stadium. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Boone described the situation as “fluid,” as the Yankees try to get a read on how Judge is looking, feeling and recovering from his first games in three-plus months.
The manager, who has a strong relationship with Judge, said he thinks his player “probably on some level” understands why the Yankees are easing him back in carefully.
“But that’s him, he likes to play and, obviously, he’s one of those guys that has the ability to play through a lot — not that he’s playing through anything right now,” Boone said. “But obviously the biggest thing is the buildup and not having played, so just want to be mindful and smart about that.”
Having Judge off Thursday would ensure he could play in Friday’s Subway Series opener against the Mets on the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11.
Clarke Schmidt made his fourth rehab appearance Wednesday with Double-A Somerset, this one coming on two days of rest as he tries to come back from Tommy John surgery as a reliever for the rest of the year.
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Before Wednesday’s game, the Yankees held a moment of silence for Rollie Sheldon, the right-hander and Connecticut native who died last week after winning a pair of World Series with them in 1961 and 1962.
