Overview
- Judge was left out of Thursday’s lineup as a planned recovery day after he rejoined the Yankees earlier in the week following a right first‑rib stress fracture.
- Manager Aaron Boone said the club designed the early return as a controlled ramp‑up and expected Judge to sit at least one game in the Rockies series.
- Judge skipped a traditional minor‑league rehab assignment and is effectively rehabbing through monitored major‑league at‑bats with scans and symptom checks guiding decisions.
- In two games since activation he went 0‑for‑3 with an early removal in his first outing and then 2‑for‑4 in his second, and the Yankees limited his innings in both games.
- The cautious plan has produced short‑term lineup shifts, such as Jasson Domínguez starting in right field, and reports that Domínguez was optioned to Triple‑A remain unconfirmed.