On the brink of making history, Aaron Judge has had all eyes on him this week in his pursuit of 61 home runs this season, which would tie the American League record set by Roger Maris in 1961.
But perhaps lost in the Judge headlines are a number of Yankees contributors coming back from the injured list, giving the Yankees a chance to rely less on Judge, who often felt like a one-man show as the team struggled through its August swoon.
The list of reinforcements is impressive. First baseman Anthony Rizzo was activated Sunday after he had been placed on the 10-day I.L. earlier this month with migraines. Center fielder Harrison Bader was activated from the 60-day I.L. on Tuesday after finally working through a foot injury. The right-hander Luis Severino was activated on Wednesday and the relievers Scott Effross and Zack Britton were reinstated before Thursday night’s game.
The players made an immediate impact. Rizzo hit a home run in his first game back on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers, contributing to the Yankees 12-8 win. Severino had a statement performance on Wednesday, striking out six in five innings as the Yankees beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 14-2, on Wednesday.
“They asked me if I was ready to face big league hitters,” Severino told reporters after he allowed only two hits and one run in his start. “You don’t forget that thing so quickly, so I feel very good. My confidence is like it has always been. I’m ready to get to the next step.”
Bader’s return has been his first taste of action for the Yankees after coming over from the St. Louis Cardinals in a trade for the left-hander Jordan Montgomery. The speedy Bader has started hot, driving in six runs over his first four games for his new team. His sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth on Thursday night brought in a run to tie the game at 4-4, helping set up the team’s 10th inning victory.
Bader was right back at it on Friday when he scored the go-ahead run in a 5-4 win over Boston in which he came in as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning, walked, stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error and then came home on a single by Jose Trevino.
“I’m just trying to be a part of what we got going on here,” Bader said before Thursday’s game. “It’s a great clubhouse.”
Manager Aaron Boone praised Bader for his base running and being sharp in important situations.
“You get a peek at just how athletic and fundamentally sound he is in the outfield the way he’s been getting behind ball to keep guys from advancing,” Boone said. “He’s just been a spark, and he’s done a lot of winning things in just three games.”
Bader said he’s feeding off the other players in the Yankees clubhouse.
“A lot of things can happen when you get traded,” he said. “You can be traded to some different organizations, some not-so winning organizations, but to be traded to an organization like this, surrounded by winning players with all winning mentalities is awesome.”
More help could be on the way. Outfielder Andrew Benintendi, who has been out with a broken bone in his right hand, could join the team in October. Infielder DJ LeMahieu and pitcher Albert Abreu could return this month, and designated hitter Matt Carpenter is hoping to come back in October.
Benintendi said on Thursday that his hand “feels pretty decent.”
“I haven’t had a setback yet, so I’ll keep going the course and see how it plays out,” he said. “It stinks that I can’t be out there with the guys. Watching isn’t as fun as playing.”
