Aaron Boone Says Aaron Judge Could Return to Yankees Lineup Later This Week

With reports over the weekend suggesting that New York Yankees All-Star Aaron Judge could be back in the Yanks lineup soon, manager Aaron Boone has now added some credibility to those claims.

When Boone was asked about the timetable for Judge's return, he stated that the outfielder could return as early as this week, just a few days after Giancarlo Stanton is returned from his Scranton rehab assignment. It looks like the already strong bats for New York are about to get a little more strength.

Judge has been rehabbing from a strained left oblique and hasn't been in the Yanks lineup since mid-April. He and fellow injured teammate Giancarlo Stanton have been playing with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for a few games, and both have demonstrated that they're ready to get back to New York.

On Sunday, Judge ripped an RBI single off the wall and finished 1-for-4. It may take him another game or two to get up to speed, but the fact that he's already displaying his power again should be a great sign for the Yankees brass.

While Stanton is scheduled to travel with the team on Monday and get activated on Tuesday, Judge may have to wait until the end of the week. But nevertheless, New York will be getting two superb bats back into their lineup within the same time frame, potentially against Houston this weekend. Add in the integration of Edwin Encarnacion, and we've really got something here.

If the rest of the American League wasn't already afraid to face the Yankees, Judge and Stanton being inserted back into the lineup will certainly strike fear in any of their opponents.