Judge Returns for Yankees as Burnes Nears Diamondbacks Debut in Busy MLB Injury Week

Aaron Judge is back. The New York Yankees slugger has been activated from the 60-day injured list and is expected in the lineup Tuesday when the club opens a series against the Colorado Rockies, bringing an end to a three-month absence caused by a fractured rib.

Judge, 34, cleared the final hurdles over the weekend, running the bases and taking batting practice on Friday. Notably, the Yankees bypassed a minor-league rehab assignment entirely, electing to insert their captain straight into the major-league lineup with roughly three weeks left in the regular season.

The timing carries a bittersweet edge for the outfield. Just as Judge returns, the Yankees placed Trent Grisham on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 2 strain of his right hamstring — an injury of that severity that will likely sideline the 29-year-old for the remainder of the regular season. Grisham’s absence is expected to keep Spencer Jones in the lineup; the young outfielder has handled center field over the last two games.

Burnes Set for Season Debut in Arizona

Elsewhere around baseball, Corbin Burnes is positioned to make his first start of the season for the Arizona Diamondbacks, 15 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery. His return gives the Diamondbacks a front-of-rotation arm as the season winds down.

Blue Jays Updates: Yesavage and Santander

In Toronto, right-hander Trey Yesavage threw a 34-pitch bullpen session Monday in Florida and is scheduled to face live hitters in a simulated game Thursday. Yesavage underwent surgery in early August to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee, and he will likely need at least one or two rehab starts before rejoining the Blue Jays rotation.

Meanwhile, outfielder Anthony Santander is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday. Santander has missed the entire season following offseason labrum surgery on a shoulder problem that limited him to 54 games in 2025.

Rookie first baseman Jac Caglianone is also dealing with an elbow issue, though further details on his status remain limited.

Broadcast Angle

The injury news lands amid broader momentum for the sport’s media footprint: MLB returns to Comcast‘s NBC and Peacock platforms in 2026, with Sunday Night Baseball exclusivity, Wild Card postseason coverage, and the first round of the MLB Draft among the scheduled offerings. Comcast shares closed at $26.66 and were trading recently at $26.49, down 0.64%, valuing the telecom and media company at roughly $94.4 billion.

Source: original release

What to watch

• Judge’s performance and workload in his first games back, given the skipped rehab assignment.
• Whether Grisham’s hamstring strain keeps him out for the rest of the regular season and potentially the postseason.
• Burnes’ first start for Arizona and how his stuff looks 15 months post-surgery.
• Yesavage’s simulated game Thursday and any subsequent rehab-start assignments.
• Santander’s progress at Triple-A Buffalo beginning Wednesday.