NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 16: Miguel Andujar #41 of the New York Yankees congratulates teammate Aaron Judge #99 after he scored on a bases loaded walk in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium on April 16, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City.
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

The New York Yankees activated Aaron Judge off the injured list and recalled some bodies from the alternate site too.

The New York Yankees have activated Aaron Judge off the injured list, but that’s not the main story this week.

Rather, it is the number of players the team has called up to the majors ahead of three doubleheaders this week. Per a statement from the team, Miguel Andujar is one of the names to be recalled.

Left-hander James Paxton was also placed on the injured list with an elbow strain, as was shortstop Gleyber Torres with quad and hamstring strains.

The Yankees made these roster adjustments with a busy week ahead. Thanks to a rainout in Atlanta on Tuesday and the New York Mets’ positive COVID-19 test eliminating last weekend’s Subway Series, New York’s schedule is as follows:

JB’s Take

The good news is Aaron Judge is back after missing a week with a calf strain and should provide an immediate boost to the lineup. The bad news is Torres was injured right as he was turning a corner, and the ineffective Miguel Andujar is filling his spot the roster while he recovers.

Andujar has shuttled back and forth between the Bronx and the Yankees’ alternate site in Pennsylvania all season long. After breaking out as a rookie, he missed most of 2019 with a shoulder injury. Thanks to Gio Urshela’s breakout season and superior defense at third base, Andujar is fighting for an MLB opportunity.

In 2020, early returns haven’t been promising. Andujar, who has since shifted to the outfield, is batting a paltry .095 in limited action this year. In the Yankees’ recent series against the Tampa Bay Rays, he struggled in left field and had no strong at-bats at all.

Even though Tyler Wade and Thairo Estrada should fill in at shortstop, remember DJ LeMahieu is also hurt. Andujar’s issues this year aside, he knows how to make hard contact. There could be more at-bats for him than one may realize, especially with seven games in less than a week.

More importantly, the trade deadline is less than a week away. If Andujar can put together some promising at-bats, the Yankees may be able to include him in a deal for pitching. Andy Martino of SNY reported the team was interested in San Francisco Giants righty Kevin Gausman. Jon Morosi of MLB.com also reported New York was interested in Seattle Mariners hurler Taijuan Walker.

It’ll be a rough week for the Bronx Bombers, but Aaron Judge being back is a huge step forward after a rough week. Hopefully, the New York Yankees return to top form soon.

Josh Benjamin has been a staff writer at ESNY since 2018. He has had opinions about everything, especially the Yankees and Knicks. He co-hosts the “Bleacher Creatures” podcast and is always looking for new pieces of sports history to uncover, usually with a Yankee Tavern chicken parm sub in hand.