Aaron Judge hits first home run since May as Yankees secure playoff berth
6 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Sep 15, 2026, 3:24 AM
Last updated Sep 15, 2026
On September 14, Aaron Judge hit his first home run since May 24 as the New York Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins 8-3. Judge's three-run homer in the eighth inning highlighted a night where the Yankees clinched their 61st postseason berth. After missing nearly four months with a fractured rib, Judge returned to the lineup on September 8 and had struggled initially, going 3-for-17 in five games. With this victory, the Yankees became the second American League team to secure a playoff spot.
- •Judge's home run came in the eighth inning off A.J. Minter.
- •The Yankees' win clinched a wild card berth after Detroit's victory.
- •Judge missed 84 games due to a rib injury suffered in late April.
- •He has 18 home runs in 65 games played this season.
- •Yankees averaged 5.17 runs with Judge in the lineup, compared to 4.06 without.
- 3:53 AMESPN — Judge hits 1st HR since May as Yankees clinch record 61st postseason spot
- 3:10 AMYahoo Sports — Judge’s first homer since May 24 helps clinch postseason berth for Yankees in 8-3 win at Twins
- 2:51 AMYahoo Sports — Yankees secure playoff berth as Aaron Judge belts first home run since return
- 2:42 AMYahoo Sports — Aaron Judge's first home run since return from injured list sparks Yankees' postseason-clinching win at Twins
- 2:40 AMYahoo Sports — Yankees' Aaron Judge hits first home run since return from injured list
"MINNEAPOLIS — Even though the results weren’t there, the New York Yankees kept saying that they liked the way Aaron Judge has looked since returning from a fractured rib on Sept. 8. “I’ve actually been pleased,” Aaron Boone said before Monday’s series-opener against the Minnesota Twins. “Even right away, I felt like he’s looked better than I anticipated with him having not played a lot. He’s ...
"Aaron Judge hit his first home run since May 24, Will Warren did not allow an earned run and the New York Yankees used a six-run eighth inning to beat the Minnesota Twins in Monday's series opener.
"Aaron Judge hit his first home run since May 24 as the Yankees clinched their record 61st postseason berth and ninth in 10 years on Monday night.
Sources
External links- ESPNSep 15, 2026, 3:53 AMJudge hits 1st HR since May as Yankees clinch record 61st postseason spot
Aaron Judge hit his first home run since May 24 as the Yankees clinched their record 61st postseason berth and ninth in 10 years on Monday night.
- Yahoo SportsSep 15, 2026, 3:10 AMJudge’s first homer since May 24 helps clinch postseason berth for Yankees in 8-3 win at Twins
Judge had been 3 for 20 with 11 strikeouts since returning last week after missing 84 games because of a fractured rib.
- Yahoo SportsSep 15, 2026, 2:51 AMYankees secure playoff berth as Aaron Judge belts first home run since return
MINNEAPOLIS — Even though the results weren’t there, the New York Yankees kept saying that they liked the way Aaron Judge has looked since returning from a fractured rib on Sept. 8. “I’ve actually been pleased,” Aaron Boone said before Monday’s series-opener against the Minnesota Twins. “Even right away, I felt like he’s looked better than I anticipated with him having not played a lot. He’s ...
- Yahoo SportsSep 15, 2026, 2:42 AMAaron Judge's first home run since return from injured list sparks Yankees' postseason-clinching win at Twins
Aaron Judge hit his first home run since May 24, Will Warren did not allow an earned run and the New York Yankees used a six-run eighth inning to beat the Minnesota Twins in Monday's series opener.
- Yahoo SportsSep 15, 2026, 2:40 AMYankees' Aaron Judge hits first home run since return from injured list
Aaron Judge hit his first home run in nearly four months, and it highlighted a night in which the New York Yankees secured a postseason berth.
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