For the first time since returning from the IL, Aaron Judge is back in right field for the Yankees, who begin a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night at Yankee Stadium.
Prior to Friday's game, Judge had been strictly serving as a DH due to the flexor strain in his right elbow that caused him to miss nearly two weeks shortly after the All-Star break. It will be the first time Judge is in the outfield since July 26.
With Judge back in right field (and batting third), Giancarlo Stanton assumes his position as the DH and is hitting fifth.
Due to his own fielding deficiencies, Stanton had been the odd-man out many times while Judge was the DH, as New York would only play Stanton in the outfield during home games due to the smaller dimensions of right field at Yankee Stadium. On the road, Stanton would mainly only come in for pinch-hitting assignments, which was a big blow for the Yankees' offense.
Now with both players in the lineup and at their ideal positions, New York is at full strength as it aims to commandeer first place for the division from the Blue Jays, who are 3.0 games in front entering play on Friday.
Hopefully a return to DH for Stanton will break him out of his recent slump in which he has just one hit (a home run) in his last 21 at-bats.
Meanwhile, Judge has been on a tear offensively lately after enduring a slump of his own over the last month.
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