In Ben Rice's hour of redemption Sunday, Yankees Universe once again wondered: Is this the tipping point for a lackluster offense since mid-June? Scoring more runs, and moving closer to the AL East leading Rays, lead the Yanks' wish list heading down the stretch, and Rice 's 10th-inning, two-run homer at Toronto seemed almost essential. Not only did Rice strike back after his error at first base helped Toronto to tie Sunday's game in the ninth, but the lefty hitter's two-run homer in the 10th boosted the Yanks toward a 4-3 win at Rogers Centre. That allowed the Yanks to salvage the final game of their three-game set against the suddenly relevant-again Jays, a game out of the final AL wild card spot. And it came during rough stretch for Rice, batting .184 since June 22 before that home run. Just past the three-quarter pole of the season, here are a few Yankees items on the agenda as we move down the stretch: Cody Bellinger’s return
This is sort of rare – an injury-rehabbing 2026 Yankee who appears ahead of schedule. A team badly in need of an offensive jolt could potentially get Cody Bellinger in the lineup as early as this weekend at Yankee Stadium. Sunday is the four-week mark since Bellinger landed on the injured list (Grade 2 strained left hamstring), with a four-to-six-week timeline to return. If Bellinger begins a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday, as Boone suggested to reporters Sunday, that puts him in play for the Aug. 21-23 series vs. Toronto. Moving parts
Since Bellinger’s IL stint, the Yankees have recalled Spencer Jones, and they added lefty-hitting first baseman/DH Luis Garcia Jr. and righty-hitting corner outfielder Heliot Ramos via trade. In that period, first baseman/DH Paul Goldschmidt’s playing time has dramatically decreased (he’s also 2-for-21 since July 30). Also, Amed Rosario is batting .159 with a .446 OPS over is last 22 games, since July 4. On a team heavy with DH-types (we’ll get to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in a moment), you start to wonder about Goldschmidt’s status. But Rosario won’t be trusted at any defensive position, making him vulnerable despite his value against lefty pitching off the bench (also Goldschmidt’s profile). Rosters expand on Sept. 1, so Jones (despite his current play) could be optioned temporarily to make room for Bellinger. Waiting on Aaron Judge
The latest on Judge was his clearance to begin catch play last Friday, per Boone. We’re also approaching the two-week point since the latest MRI, showing improvement but not a fully healed first right rib fracture. You want to hear when Judge will be cleared to begin swinging a bat, then taking BP, then hitting off live pitching – timelines that are still a mystery. Judge and the Yankees have expressed optimism about the Yanks captain returning before the end of this regular season, which now has six fast weeks remaining. At this point, a best-case scenario (this is just a guess, based on where we’re at) might be a dozen games of Judge leading into the postseason. That would be his “spring training’’ ramp-up before October. Is that enough for his rhythm and timing to recover, as well as his physical condition? Plus, if Judge needs DH days built-in (as you’d imagine), who is being left out of this lineup? Meanwhile, Stanton (strained left calf) has graduated to running bases. We were here, two months ago, when the slugging DH suffered a new calf strain. So, the slow playing of Stanton could continue; through Sunday, the Yanks had offered no updates on when he might be ready for a even a short minor league rehab stint. Carlos Rodon's return to the rotation
Veteran lefty Carlos Rodon could return to the rotation as early as this week, on a limited pitch count. And if the Yanks are in a healthy rotation situation, someone is going to the bullpen, or at least in a hook-and-ladder tandem with Rodon. That would seem to be Will Warren’s fate, with Ryan Weathers posting a 0.85 ERA over his last five starts, and the Yanks winning four of those games. That included Sunday’s series finale at Toronto, where Weathers yielded one run over 7.1 innings, outdueling Blue Jays’ Cy Young Award candidate Dylan Cease. Weathers is moving into uncharted territory regarding his professional innings total in 2026, but “I think he’s taking care of himself at a higher level’’ Yanks pitching coach Matt Blake said of the lefty’s routine this year. Mindful of his innings count, there’s been “a natural evolution to his routine and his body of work’’ that suggests he’ll remain durable as a starter for the duration of this season – if that’s how things shake out.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: A few things to watch as the Yankees reach the stretch drive