The New York Yankees activated outfielder Aaron Judge from the injured list ahead of Friday's game versus the Baltimore Orioles. In a corresponding move, the Yankees optioned infielder Oswaldo Peraza back to Triple-A. Judge made his return to the Yankees lineup without first going on a rehab assignment. Instead, he spent time at the Yankees spring training complex in Tampa, where he partook in simulated games against low-level competition.
Judge batted second and served as the Yankees' designated hitter on Friday. He ended up going 0 for 1 with three walks in the contest, showing off his plate discipline. The one ball he put in play was a 104.4 mile-per-hour lineout (95 m.p.h. is considered a "hard-hit ball"), so the swing was there as well.
The Yankees ended up losing a pitchers' duel in walk-off fashion when Anthony Santander went deep to walk it off for the first-place Orioles:
SANTANDER SENDS US HOME!!!!! pic.twitter.com/fr2aJPxR89
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 29, 2023
That's a 1-0 Orioles win. They hold a 1 1/2 game lead over the Rays in the AL East while the Blue Jays remain 5 1/2 out. The Yankees, in last place, fall to nine games back.
Judge, 31, had been sidelined by a torn ligament in his toe since June 3. He suffered the injury after colliding with a Dodger Stadium outfield fence. Judge has since acknowledged that he'll have to play through pain the rest of the season, and that he may require surgery this offseason in order for his toe to fully recover.
The reigning American League Most Valuable Player Award recipient has now appeared in 50 games for the Yankees this season. He's hit .290/.410/.670 (195 OPS+) with 19 home runs and 40 RBI. For those wondering, heading into Friday he'd homered every 11.2 plate appearances, or the same rate as last season, when he set a new Yankee and AL single-season home-run record with 62.
The Yankees, 54-49 on the season, are 2 1/2 games behind the third and final wild-card spot. They are now a game into a rough 10-game stretch that will see them play the Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros. Each of those teams would qualify for the postseason if the playoffs were to begin today.
It's worth noting that the Yankees made a different transaction involving a rehabbing outfielder earlier on Friday when they designated Willie Calhoun for assignment. Calhoun, who is out of minor-league options, is now a candidate to be traded ahead of Tuesday's deadline.
