Aaron Judge of the Yankees ready to return to the outfield after missing three games

BOSTON

Aaron Judge, having launched one over the Green Monster and another into the Red Sox bullpen, still didn’t make it out to the outfield all weekend at Fenway Park. After the Yankees suffered a third consecutive loss, this time 6-4 against the Red Sox on Sunday, it seems Judge is set to return to right field on Monday as the Yankees kick off their series against the Twins in Minnesota.

In other news, Giancarlo Stanton had a rocky start on Sunday, playing left field for only the second time in three games after sitting out Saturday. At the bottom of the first inning, Jarlen Duran led off with a sliced fly ball that Stanton couldn’t track down, resulting in a triple as it bounced off the Green Monster.

“I haven’t had a chance to see a good replay yet,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone commented. “I mean, I’m not sure exactly where it landed. All I had was an iPad in the dugout, which didn’t help much.”

As for Judge, it’s hard to say if other outfielders made any significant catches while Stanton was playing left alongside him after his return from a flexor strain. Before this weekend, Judge had started four games in right field but was designated as the DH during the last three matchups against the Red Sox.

Meanwhile, Judge’s bat was on fire, hitting a deep 400-foot shot off Garrett Croche in five innings, marking his fifth home run in six games. Against Croche, Judge has a solid track record, sitting at 15-3 with 11 strikeouts and two home runs.

Luke Weaver, prior to Saturday night, had allowed runs in three of his last four outings, raising concerns about the bullpen’s consistency. Nevertheless, he managed to bounce back in his last game, completing six innings while battling inherited runners under pressure.

“I feel like in my past few starts, I kind of lost that intensity on the mound,” said Weaver. “But during Saturday’s game, he tapped into my focus, and that really drove me.”

As the Yankees approach the critical late-season stretch, they need a determined version of Weaver—especially considering he had been reliable in a similar role last year. His effective play could certainly bolster what has been an unpredictable bullpen.