If Andrew McCutchen, who was acquired on Aug. 31 to fill in for the injured Aaron Judge, continues to hit the way he did on Friday night versus the Blue Jays, then Yankees manager Aaron Boone will be forced to find him at-bats down the stretch.
Although Judge was activated from the DL and in uniform for the first time since July 26, there’s still no set date on when he’ll be able to face live pitching — meaning he’s the most glorified pinch-runner and defensive replacement in major league baseball.
While some contend that Judge will make his triumphant return to the lineup on Tuesday when the Yankees begin a three-game homestand versus the Red Sox, the suddenly hot bat of Andrew McCutchen will lessen the immediate pressure on Judge to get back to, well, Judge-like productivity.