Aaron Judge traveled with the Yankees on their West Coast trip this week and is close to returning to action after his injury layoff. Manager Aaron Boone said Monday night that Judge could be back in the lineup as soon as September 8, when the Yankees open their homestand in the Bronx. The 34-year-old's availability on that date is "possible" but not confirmed. The exact nature of Judge's injury and how long he's been sidelined wasn't detailed in the report, but the timing suggests the Yankees are targeting the start of their home stretch to get their star back in the order. With the regular season winding down, every game matters in the playoff hunt, so having Judge available soon would be a significant boost to the roster's punch down the stretch.