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New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge was activated prior to Friday's (July 28) game against the Baltimore Orioles, MLB.com reports.
Judge, 30, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player, has been inactive since crashing into a wall at Dodgers stadium while making an out, which resulted in a ligament tear in his right big toe, on June 3. The Yankees optioned infielder Oswald Peraza to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for Judge on their active roster.
Judge was hitting for a .291 average, .404 on-base percentage and a .674 slugging percentage with 19 home runs and 40 RBIs during his 49 appearances prior to his injury. The Yankees have struggled in the captain's absence, dropping to last place in the American League East Division standings and going 5-6 through their first 11 games of the second half of the 2023 MLB season.
In December, Judge was named as the Yankees' first captain since Hall of Famer Derek Jeter retired after the 2014 season upon re-signing with the franchise
"In my heart, I knew where I wanted to be, but this process was a valuable lesson," Judge said via ESPN. "It helped me come to a clear answer that I belong in New York."
The 30-year-old slugger hit an American League record 62 home runs and league-leading 131 RBIs, as well as hit for a .311 average, during his MVP season in 2022.