'It's possible' Aaron Judge returns on Yankees' homestand, but nothing set in stone

Gary Phillips, New York Daily News on Sep 1, 2026

Published in Baseball

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Yankees aren’t going to share a date for Aaron Judge’s return until it’s certain. And the back-to-back MVP certainly isn’t going to preemptively announce which day fans should have circled on their calendars.

But with Judge traveling out west to Anaheim and then San Diego with the Yankees, manager Aaron Boone said “it’s possible” that the captain returns for the team’s upcoming homestand.

“I’m not going to put a date on it, but I think those things are in play now,” Boone said Monday. “It’s about getting the durability and the workloads built up on him, which is the biggest thing now.”

The Yankees’ open their next homestand with three games against the Rockies from Sept. 8-10. They will then host the crosstown rival Mets Sept. 11-13.

Judge, recovering from a stress fracture in his first right rib, has been out since May 31. He recently made it known that he does not want to play in minor league rehab games before rejoining the Yankees.

“Why waste at-bats?” Judge wondered on Aug. 27. “Why waste anything down in a minor league game? I’ve been doing this for a while now, and I’ve got a sense of what I need to do on the field and how to manage it, so why waste at-bats in Double-A or Triple-A?”

In addition to running, Judge has already thrown from over 100 feet and taken indoor, overhand batting practice. The hope is that he will face high velocity out west. He’s also expected to be more involved in the Yankees’ pregame routines.

“He’s doing well,” Boone said. “He’s here to kind of continue to ramp up baseball activities, so we’re getting closer, but I feel good about where he’s at.”