Aaron Judge has officially been activated and is back on the Yankees' main roster.
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Judge could potentially return Tuesday or Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies. (Update: He's in Tuesday's lineup.)
Today, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
• Reinstated OF Aaron Judge (#99) from the 60-day injured list.
• Designated RHP Chase Hampton for assignment.— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 8, 2026
Judge faced live pitching Monday at Yankee Stadium for the first time since fracturing a rib in late May. The workout represented perhaps the biggest step yet in a recovery that has kept the two-time American League MVP out for more than three months.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Judge has essentially cleared the physical portion of his recovery. The remaining challenge is preparing his body for the demands of playing an entire game.
"He's physically to the finish line, where he needs to be," Boone said ahead of the activation. "But it's about just doing it a lot, because that's ultimately what you're trying to replicate is being out there for nine innings where you're playing for three hours."
No further questions, Your Honor. pic.twitter.com/9VL7uaefXW
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 8, 2026
Judge has recently taken batting practice on consecutive days and resumed running the bases.
An option would be for the Yankees to initially limit him to five or six innings while he continues building endurance.
Whenever Judge plays, it'll be too late to salvage some of his usual eye-popping season totals. He played only 59 games before the injury, hitting 17 home runs.
The Yankees aren't particularly concerned about individual milestones right now. Getting Aaron Judge back for the stretch run will do just fine.
