NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge made his long-awaited return from a fractured rib Tuesday in the New York Yankees' 5-3 win over the Colorado Rockies, taking three at-bats in six innings before he was removed from the game as the club eases him back into action.
The three-time American League MVP received multiple standing ovations from a home crowd that went silent once he stood in the batter's box. His timing was, as expected, a bit off in his first game in 99 days. And in the end, after going hitless and not getting a ball hit to him in right field, he wasn't pleased that he was pulled with the Yankees leading 2-1. He communicated his feelings in a discussion with manager Aaron Boone in the dugout before Heliot Ramos replaced him in right field and cracked a game-breaking three-run home run in the eighth inning.
"I respect what he said," Judge said of his talk with Boone. "Whatever he said, I'm going to do. But I'm not happy about it. But that's where my guy Ramos picked me up and hit a nice little three-run homer there to kind of put the game out so we could be comfortable going into the last inning. But, yeah, not too happy about it."
Judge, 34, had not played in a game since May 31 -- nearly a month after suffering a rib stress fracture diving for a ball in late April. The Yankees activated him from the injured list without him needing a rehab assignment after he faced live pitching Monday for the first time since going on the injured list. He checked that final box at Yankee Stadium pain-free and returned to New York's lineup, batting third, asymptomatic.
"That's what we had to get to," Boone said before Tuesday's game. "That's where he's been the last several weeks now where he's really been able to start ramping up his body, and strength and running, all those things. He's -- from what he's told me over the last few weeks -- not feeling anything. Doesn't feel any restrictions."
But the Yankees' plan for Judge includes restrictions -- at least for now. With October around the corner, and the Yankees a virtual lock to reach the postseason, the club plans on ramping up Judge's workload carefully. Before Tuesday's game, Boone said Judge would not play all nine innings and he wouldn't play either Wednesday or Thursday.
When asked if the plan is for him to play Wednesday, Judge said that's up to Boone -- and that "hopefully" he would play more than six innings.
"I feel great," Judge said. "I played half a game so I don't know what to say about that."
The Yankees were a different team during Judge's absence. Before he was sidelined, the Yankees went 36-24 and ranked fourth in the majors in runs scored. While he was out, they went 45-39 and ranked 26th in runs scored -- relying heavily on one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.
Judge was batting .248 with 17 home runs and a .907 OPS in 59 games before going on the injured list.
"We hung in there," Boone said. "We've had stretches where it's been a real struggle for us offensively this year."
The wait for the offense's engine finally ended at 7:06 p.m. Tuesday when Judge jogged out onto right field to loud applause. Eleven minutes later, he was introduced for his first plate appearance against Rockies right-hander Gabriel Hughes and greeted him with a standing ovation.
After getting ahead 2-0 on Hughes, Judge fouled off two consecutive hittable sliders before striking swinging on a 93-mph fastball over the plate. Two innings later, he hit a 95.1-mph flyout to right-center field. He ended his night by striking out looking at a 3-2 fastball over the inside corner against left-hander Mark Manfredi.
"I feel great," Judge said. "I just haven't been in a live game or seen living pitching in three months so it's kind of like the start of the year. But I've got work to do. I've got to improve and we'll keep improving as this goes along because we've got ballgames to win."
The Yankees didn't gain any ground on the first-place Tampa Bay Rays with the win, which clinched the franchise's 34th consecutive winning season. The Rays, after beating the Atlanta Braves, are still four games ahead of New York in the AL East with 18 games remaining. The Boston Red Sox, after losing Tuesday, fell to three games behind the Yankees for the top Wild Card spot.
The stakes are high, but the Yankees will play it safe with their superstar while he rounds into form, even if it's against his wishes. They have October, not September, in mind.
"I get paid to do this so I gotta go do it," Judge said. "That's the end of it. I get paid to go out there and give my best to the New York Yankees and these fans."