ARLINGTON -- When Yankees manager Aaron Boone fills out Tuesday’s lineup card, Aaron Judge will be penciled in at designated hitter after a 10-day absence.
"That’s the plan,” Boone said before the Yankees opened their three-game series in Texas on Monday.
Boone confirmed after the Yankees’ 8-5 loss to the Rangers that Judge would be activated Tuesday, likely taking the roster spot of Austin Slater, who suffered a left hamstring injury Monday.
Judge landed on the injured list on July 27, five days after suffering a flexor strain in his right elbow on a throw to the plate. He is eligible to return Tuesday, and after taking on-field batting practice in Tampa on Sunday and Monday, the slugger rejoined the Yankees in Arlington on Monday and spent much of the game in the dugout.
Without Judge, the Yankees have gone 4-6, being swept by the Marlins over the weekend and slashing just .231/.311/.399. Judge leads the Major Leagues in batting average (.342), on-base percentage (.449), slugging percentage (.711) and OPS (1.160). There’s no overstating how badly the Yankees need his bat back.
"It’s Aaron Judge -- we know what he means to our lineup, to the guys in the room,” Boone said. “So to get him back, we’re certainly excited about that. And then hopefully, shortly thereafter, he’s back out in the field, too.”
The current plan was for Judge to play catch Monday or Tuesday before the Yankees can decide on a “potential timeline” for him to return to right field.
"Then we’ll see when we get back home,” on Friday against the Astros, Boone said. “The process they’re going through -- as far as treatments, I know he did plyos today, and then he’ll start introducing playing catch, and then his arm will tell him” when he’s ready.