Yankees News: Carlos Rodón, Update on trade deadline plan, Aaron Judge return

Man, did he need that one! Carlos Rodón, who made his fourth start of the season against the Mets on Wednesday, got his first win as a member of the New York Yankees to put his disastrous outing against the LA Angels behind him.

The Yanks took home a 3-1 victory to split the Subway Series behind Rodón's 5.2 innings of one-run ball. He allowed four hits and three walks while striking out four. It wasn't a particularly great outing, but it was a step in the right direction for the left-hander.

Rodón had his season delayed due to multiple injuries and then understandably started slow when he took the mound for the first time in July. Against the Angels last week, he surrendered six earned runs on a concerning four hits (two homers) and five walks.

To make matters worse, Rodón was heckled by a Yankees fan right above the team's dugout in Anaheim and he responded by blowing a kiss at the fan, which drew the ire of many.

That made his outing against the Mets that much more important, especially since it was now in front of the home crowd after the Yankees came out with another flat loss the night before. Sigh of relief for all. Rodón looked pretty cool doing it, too.

Yankees News: Carlos Rodón, Update on trade deadline plan, Aaron Judge return

After the win, the Yankees now sit at 54-48, but did that lone victory change their trade deadline outlook? Earlier on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Yanks are undecided on their plans before Aug. 1.

This has been a lengthy and contentious conversation for over a month now: to buy, sell or retool? Now that the Angels are in full buy mode (they traded for Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez in a deal with the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night) and are 1.5 games behind the Yankees in the Wild Card race, perhaps that helps answer the question for Brian Cashman.

Oh, and this should help too. Per reports on Wednesday, Aaron Judge is expected to rejoin the team Friday before the weekend series against the Baltimore Orioles. Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Judge's ramp-up on Wednesday at the team's facility in Tampa went well.

But manager Aaron Boone has been there to essentially refute that notion every step of the way, which has been frustrating.

Boone reiterated after Wednesday's game that he doesn't know yet if Judge will be activated on Friday and claimed he's unsure if the slugger will go on a rehab assignment or take part in more workouts. Judge is already back from Tampa and is in the Bronx, though, so what does that tell you?

The Yankees can't even tell the truth when it's good news. Frustrating. But if Judge returns, New York will be set up as best they can possibly be against the O's. Their two hottest pitchers -- Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt -- will be on the mound for the first two games of that series with Luis Severino, who has been better in his last two starts, taking the finale.

Just when we thought we were out, they pull us back in ...