Well, this changes everything.
The New York Yankees have spent the better part of the summer trying to stay afloat without the biggest bat in their lineup. They managed to hang around, but the American League East has remained within striking distance rather than firmly in their control.
Now, everything could be changing.
The Yankees are four games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East and have only a two-game cushion over the Boston Red Sox for the top wild-card spot. There are just 19 games remaining in the regular season.
And then, on Monday night, the Yankees made a move that immediately sent their fan base into a frenzy.
Their captain is coming back.
Aaron Judge has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list and is expected to return Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium. The three-time American League MVP has been sidelined since May 31 with a stress fracture in his right rib.
That is an absolutely massive development for a Yankees team trying to make one final push toward October.
Judge played in only 59 games before the injury but still hit 17 home runs with 38 RBIs. The Yankees went 45-39 during his absence.
Now imagine adding that bat back into the lineup with 19 games left.
The Yankees suddenly have a completely different feel.
Nobody knows how quickly Judge will get back to being Judge. He has not played in more than three months and is returning without a rehab assignment.
But if he looks anything like the player New York watched dominate the league before the injury?
The American League just got a whole lot more interesting.
And the Yankees may have just received the biggest boost of their season at exactly the right time.
