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Inside The Pinstripes

Why Aaron Judge Was Right to Reject a Rehab Assignment

Although Aaron Judge has been struggling since his return, it was a good idea for him to skip a rehab assignment.
Joe Najarian|
Sep 13, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts after striking out in the third inning against the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Sep 13, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts after striking out in the third inning against the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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New York Yankees

The New York Yankees enjoyed a successful 5-1 homestand last week, punctuated by Aaron Judge's return to the lineup. However, the captain himself wasn't a big contributor to that success.

In five games since being activated from the injured list, Judge has reached base in only four of his 18 plate appearances, doing so with three hits (all singles) and a walk. This gives him a .222 on-base percentage over the homestand. Meanwhile, the 34-year-old also struck out nine times, including in all three of his plate appearances on Sunday.

Before the Yankees officially activated him, the farthest Judge went in his hitting progression was taking pregame batting practice. He was adamant about not being sent on a rehab assignment.

In the moment, it would seem like Judge rejected a rehab assignment because he wants to help the Yankees right away, especially as they try to get within striking distance of the Tampa Bay Rays. That is undoubtedly a reason behind his stance, but there's another reason why it made more sense for Judge to return right away.

Aaron Judge is better off facing MLB pitchers to rehab

It is worth mentioning that most MiLB seasons end before the MLB regular season does. So with the regular season already winding down, there wouldn't be too many rehab games for Judge to play in before returning to the Yankees. Naturally, Judge didn't see a point in taking only a couple of at-bats for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when they could come in the Bronx instead.

“I didn't rehab in ‘23 when I missed probably the same amount of time. Why waste at-bats? Why waste anything down in a Minor League game? I've been doing this for a while now, and I’ve got a sense of what I need to do on the field and how to manage it.", Judge said towards the end of last month (h/t Bryan Hoch of MLB.com)

That leads directly into the biggest reason why it was a good idea for Judge to forgo a minor league rehab: he'll be facing significantly better pitching.

Granted, Judge returned during a series against the Colorado Rockies, who have the worst pitching staff in MLB. But even they would be better than facing minor leaguers, as it's more common to face MiLB pitchers with no future in the majors than actual top pitching prospects.

After Colorado was the Subway Series, Judge faced three young pitchers: Nolan McLean, Zac Thornton, and Christian Scott. McLean will be an NL Rookie of the Year finalist, while Thornton and Scott also have promising futures. With the postseason just two weeks away, it's much better for Judge to find his timing against talented, stingy arms than to effectively take batting practice against Triple-A journeymen.

This isn't the only time Judge has ignored a rehab assignment to return to the Yankees. Back in 2023, when he missed nearly two months with that dreaded toe sprain, Judge didn't play in any rehab games before coming back.

He hit only .183 in his first nine games before slugging 17 home runs over the next 48 games. Granted, the 2023 Yankees were going nowhere, and there was more time for Judge to get his timing down, but based on his performance after that slow start, Judge didn't need a rehab assignment.

Therefore, if Judge is locked in by the time the postseason begins, the Yankees will be significantly more dangerous. And the best way for him to prepare against the absolute best arms in baseball is to face pitchers who at least have the talent and experience to make it to the major leagues.

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Joe Najarian
JOE NAJARIAN

Joe Najarian is the Deputy Editor and a writer for the New York Yankees and New York Mets On SI sites. He got his bachelor’s degree in journalism with a specialization in sports from Rutgers University, graduating in 2022. Joe has previously written for Jersey Sporting News and for the New York Giants On SI site. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @JoeNajarian

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