Why Yankees altered plans on Aaron Judge, who is back in lineup Tuesday

The Yankees changed their minds Tuesday and decided to start right fielder Aaron Judge for the first time since he broke his right wrist on July 26.

NEW YORK — Just for fun, Yankees manager Aaron Boone has been writing out some pretend lineups lately that had Aaron Judge back in right field.

The first one that was drawn up for Tuesday’s scheduled matinee against the Boston Red Sox was like all of the Yankees’ others since Judge broke his wrist on July 26

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No. 99, although off the disabled list of last Friday, wasn’t included.

The weather forecast changed the Yankees’ plans.

With heavy rains coming in the afternoon, the Yanks made a morning decision to push back to start time from 1:05 to 7:05, then stick Judge in the lineup batting second and playing right after he took swings in a simulated game for the second day in a row.

Judge didn’t fare particularly well taking swings off Triple-A righty Adonis Rosa – he hit one ball over the right-field wall, but hit just four pitches in about 10 minutes – but the Yankees decided anyway that it was time to get the face of their franchise back in the lineup.

Why Tuesday?

“Medical clearance,” Boone said. “He’s ready to go. I feel like physically over the last week he’s been ready to go. It’s been just kind of checking the boxes and making sure he’s kind of done everything. We just felt like after today we want to start that clock of getting him in there and playing and getting him those ABs so he can find that timing sooner rather than later.”

Boone having time to think about changing his mind and talk it out with all important parties due to the new start time was a key factor.

“I kind of deliberated on it after we got finished today (with the same game), which was 11:30, 12 o’clock,” Boone said. “I kind of thought about it for an hour. I talked to some of the coaches. I talked with (GM Brian Cashman) and (head athletic trainer) Steve Donohue. Then I talked to Aaron and then just decided that, ‘Yeah, we’re ready to go.’ He was chomping at the bit to get in there. He’s like I’m ready to go, so tonight we go.”

Now what?

The Yankees are hoping Judge is feeling comfortable at the plate and having success by the start of the playoffs – the AL Wild Card Game is scheduled for Oct. 3, which is two weeks from Tuesday – so he’ll probably start most of the final 13 games.

“We’ll kind of watch it closely and see how he bounces back,” Boone said. “I don’t know about (Judge playing) every single day, but I feel like physically he’s in really good shape. We’ll just kind of go day by day with this as far as how he’s bouncing back and how he’s feeling. But I’m kind of looking at it as ‘we’re going.'”

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