Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today's games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today's edition is brought to you by David Adler.
You've heard the news -- Aaron Judge is back.
After 99 days -- yes, really -- No. 99 returns to the lineup tonight for the Yankees' series opener against the Rockies at Yankee Stadium (7:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TV).
Judge is batting third and playing right field, and we can't wait to see him back in the batter's box. (Maybe no one's more excited than Joey Votto, though, who's out here calling Judge the greatest hitter of all time.)
But since Judge is jumping right into the heat of the pennant race -- no rehab assignment, no nothing -- we've got questions, too. Here are five big ones about the reigning MVP's return:
1) Can Judge single-handedly swing the playoff race?
The Yankees are firmly in playoff position with 19 games remaining, but they're only two games up on the Red Sox for the top AL Wild Card spot … and only four games back of the Rays for the AL East lead. Judge is the rare player with the power to turn the tide of those races, even in such little time. There's a lot on the line here -- at least home-field advantage for the Wild Card Series, and at most the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye if the Yanks can catch the Rays.
2) How soon before Judge looks like MVP-level Judge?
The extent of Judge's impact obviously depends on how quickly he's able to return to form. There are only three weeks left until the playoffs. How much of that time will we see peak Judge for? Will he at least be back to his old self by October? The Yankees need him to be.
3) Can his return jump-start the Yankees' whole offense?
Judge is only one bat, but he's a BIG bat. Will his presence in the heart of the Yankees' order be enough to spark an offense that has scuffled without him? The Yanks ranked 26th in the Majors in runs scored in Judge's absence (341 in 84 games, which comes out to 4.06 per game), and 27th in OPS (.680). As manager Aaron Boone said: "We’ve had long stretches where the offense has struggled. I think a big part of that is not having your guy."
4) Will skipping a rehab assignment go smoothly?
Judge doesn't think he needs a rehab assignment to get into the swing of things -- as he put it, "I don’t see a point. Why waste at-bats?" However many he can squeeze into the next 19 games -- 60? 75? More? -- the results will tell the tale.
5) How careful will the Yankees be about his usage?
We're curious to see what exactly the Yankees' plan is for Judge. Will he play the whole game? Will he play every day? Boone says the Yanks might get creative to build up Judge's stamina. We assume he'll be a full go by the postseason, but what about right now?
