The New York Yankees have been without Aaron Judge for most of the season, but he is close to returning.
Judge traveled with the team on their road trip in hopes of ramping up baseball activities. He has been taking swings and has been very vocal about avoiding a rehab stint. He still needs to face higher velocity, but a player of his caliber may not need much to find his timing.
"I think it's possible," Aaron Boone said on Monday when asked about Judge returning on the next homestand, per MLB.com's Courtney Hollmon. "I'm not going to put a date on it, but I think those things are in play now. It's again about getting the durability and the workload built up on him, which is the biggest thing now."
The Yankees have not officially clinched a postseason spot, but they are pretty much a lock to get in. The most important thing will be making sure Judge is ready to go for October. If he returns at the start of the next homestand, he will have a maximum of 19 regular-season games to get at-bats before the postseason.
The Yankees are not locked into a wild card spot. They still have a chance to pass the Tampa Bay Rays and win the American League East. They enter play on Wednesday trailing the Rays by 4 1/2 games, but have four games remaining against them. Having Judge back and in a rhythm for that series in the final week of the regular season could set the Yankees up with a first-round bye.
