It may seem hard to believe, but the New York Yankees have been the worst team in the AL East in the 2023 season so far.
They have the worst record at 19-17, and the worst run differential at +8.
Those aren’t bad, but certainly not near Yankees fans’ standards.
The offense really suffered a lot when reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge got hurt about 10 days ago.
He has been dealing with hip discomfort, and needed some time on the injured list.
The Yankees, however, are ready to welcome back their biggest star and did just that on Tuesday.
.@TheJudge44 is back!
The Yankees have activated Aaron Judge from the 10-day IL. pic.twitter.com/KhNP3STU7Q
—MLB (@MLB) May 9, 2023
He is already in the lineup against the Oakland Athletics and is ready to inject some life into the Yankees’ inconsistent offense.
Prior to being placed on the injured list, Judge was hitting .261/.352/.511 with six home runs, 18 runs, 14 RBI, and a .863 OPS.
That’s far from the 1.111 OPS he had in 2022, but still good enough to make him the best and most dangerous hitter on the team.
The Yankees already welcomed back fellow outfielder Harrison Bader, who has been performing well upon returning from his oblique strain.
Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson should be next, so New York’s offense is slowly getting healthier.
They need to start winning games to climb in the AL East standings, and having Judge back will be hugely important to achieve that objective.
The Yanks are currently ten games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays in the East, but a Wild Card berth and even the division are still within reach because it’s very, very early.
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MLB Insider Provides Latest Update On Injured Yankees Stars
