The Yankees beat the Rockies 5-3 in Aaron Judge's return

The New York Yankees defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-3 on Tuesday as Aaron Judge returned to the lineup, playing his first game after a 99-day absence due to a stress fracture in a rib on his right side.

According to MLB, the three-time American League Most Valuable Player was slotted as the third batter and right fielder by manager Aaron Boone. Judge had been placed on the injured list 100 days earlier and returned without going through a rehab assignment in the minor leagues.

The Yankees' captain received several standing ovations from the crowd at Yankee Stadium, which fell silent every time Judge stepped into the batter's box. However, his return did not yield the expected offensive performance: he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, and played six innings in the field.

Judge, 34, hadn't played since May 31 — about a month after he fractured a rib diving for a ball. Before the Yankees activated him, he faced live pitching Monday for the first time since landing on the injured list and came through the session pain-free.

In his first at-bat, Judge quickly worked a 2-0 count against right-hander Gabriel Hughes, but then fouled off two sliders before striking out on a 93 mph fastball. Two innings later, he hit a fly ball to right-center field with an exit velocity of 95.1 mph.

His final at-bat ended with a called strikeout on a 3-2 fastball on the inside corner, this time against left-hander Mark Manfredi.

Judge also had no opportunities to make a difficult defensive play in right field. He remained in the game for six innings before being pulled while the Yankees were leading 2-1.

He didn't like the decision. Judge spoke with Boone in the dugout before Heliot Ramos replaced him in right field. Ramos ended up being the difference-maker, hitting a three-run home run in the eighth inning that extended New York's lead and helped secure the victory.