Daily Report – 9/8/26
Yankees
Aaron Judge spent 99 days on the injured list. On the 100th day, the captain will finally return to the diamond.
Since May 31, when the three-time MVP landed on the IL with a stress fracture in his first right rib, the Yankees went 45-39 in 84 games. They are chasing the Tampa Bay Rays for the division title, but they are four games behind them (really five) for first place.
Yet the division race is far from over. The Yankees lost ground in San Diego this weekend, dropping two of three games, including a brutal extra-innings loss on Friday. However, the Yankees have 12 games to move within at least two games of the Rays before their four-game series begins on September 22.
Until then, the Yankees will host the Rockies and Mets before traveling to Minnesota and Arizona. Meanwhile, the Rays will visit Atlanta before hosting the Astros, Athletics, and Red Sox.
This week, the Yankees face the worst team in baseball and the Rays face one of the best, so the Yankees must take advantage. With their captain back, anything is possible for the Bombers. Their World Series hopes are back on, and the best path there is to win the AL East.
Judge is returning as the Yankees’ right fielder, but the plan is to ramp him up slowly. This means he will be pulled from tonight’s game early, and he might not play tomorrow. This is because Judge didn’t want a rehab assignment.
Also, Judge faced live pitching yesterday for the first time since his injury. Already a slow starter each year, Judge will need even more time to regain his timing after missing more than half of the season. Expect him to strike out a lot during the next two weeks.
Nevertheless, Judge’s return deepens the Yankees lineup, which has taken strides offensively since August. The offense suffered early after Judge went down, which caused a 4-12 stretch between June 18 and July 4, including a seven-game losing streak.
Since the beginning of June, the Yankees rank 26th in the league in runs scored. Since August 1, though, they have a 19-14 record as key players like Cody Bellinger and Max Fried have returned, and Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos have gotten more comfortable in pinstripes.
“We’ve had long stretches where the offense has struggled,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I think a big part of that is not having your guy. I also feel like that’s ticked up here in the past couple of weeks, where we’ve really started to play better offensively. We certainly look forward to getting our guy back.”
Today is the first time Judge plays alongside García, Ramos, and George Lombard Jr. García and Lombard have sparked the Yankees lineup at various times over the past month, helping players like Rice and Jazz Chisholm Jr. break out of their slumps.
Behind them, the starting rotation has glistened since Judge’s absence. Led by Cam Schlittler, whose 2.04 ERA is the lowest in the AL, the Yankees’ rotation owns an AL-best 3.70 ERA.
Even after allowing home runs to each of his first three batters on Sunday, Gerrit Cole needed just 84 pitches to make it through seven innings. When he locates his pitches properly, he is almost unhittable. Along with Schlittler, Fried, and Carlos Rodón, that’s a pretty solid postseason rotation.
“He’s our captain,” Fried said. “The best player in baseball. To have him back in the lineup is obviously a huge boost. We’re definitely a better team when he’s in the lineup.”
If the end of Judge’s prime, Cole’s age, and the possibility of a lockout next season aren’t enough to make 2026 a must-win season for the Yankees, consider the starting pitching. And if that doesn’t suffice, factor in the bullpen, which leads the league with a 3.05 ERA.
David Bednar and Paul Blackburn have formed an excellent one-two punch in the back of the bullpen. Add Brent Headrick, who has recorded some of the most scoreless starts in Yankees history this season, to that list. The Yankees expect to get Clarke Schmidt and Ryan Weathers back soon, and Will Warren will likely join the relief core in October.
Additionally, Fernando Cruz announced today that he expects to resume throwing by the end of the week. A few weeks ago, he suffered a partially torn UCL, but doctors cleared him to avoid surgery, at least temporarily. Cruz might not play at all next season, but hopefully his elbow doesn’t rip off.
For now, the Yankees must use this week’s series against Colorado to make up ground in the standings. With Schlittler on the mound, tonight’s game enters must-win territory. Because the Rockies have struggled so much, this entire series teeters on the verge of “must-sweep.”
Tonight, at 7:05 PM (6:05 PM CDT), the Yankees return to the Bronx for the first of three games against the Colorado Rockies (YES, Gotham Sports). RHP Cam Schlittler (12-6, 2.04 ERA) gets the start against the righty Gabriel Hughes (0-6, 6.19 ERA).
Here is tonight’s starting lineup for the New York Yankees:
DH Ben Rice (L)
LF Cody Bellinger (L)
RF Aaron Judge (C) (R)
1B Luis García Jr. (L)
CF Spencer Jones (L)
2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L)
SS George Lombard Jr. (R)
3B Ryan McMahon (L)
C Austin Wells (L)
SP: RHP Cam Schlittler (12-6, 2.04 ERA)
Yankees Transactions:
9/5: NYY placed CF Trent Grisham (right hamstring strain) on the 10-day IL
9/5: NYY recalled RF Jasson Domínguez from AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
9/7: NYY optioned RHP Elmer Rodríguez to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
9/7: NYY designated RHP Chase Hampton for assignment
9/7: NYY activated RF Aaron Judge (C) from the 60-day IL
Schedule
7:05 PM (6:05 PM CDT): NYY vs. COL; YES, Gotham Sports; SP: RHP Cam Schlittler (12-6, 2.04 ERA) vs. RHP Gabriel Hughes (0-6, 6.19 ERA)
Cover Image Courtesy: New York Yankees
