Judge may be back this week

the Braves over a 1.5 million difference, less than 1% of the team’s opening-day payroll. The Yankees should be buyers for pitchers like Toronto’s Marcus Stroman, Giants’ ace Madison Bumgarner, or even Max Scherzer should the Nationals continue to slide out of contention. They should have been buyers when Scherzer was a free agent in 2014, before he won his second and third Cy Young Awards in Washington.

But, losing Then — still in the low minors and far away from contributing to the bigs — isn’t a major hit to their prospect pool should the Yankees target a starter. None of those past and current organizational defects tarnishes what Encarnación does for himself and his teammates when he steps to the plate.

The Yankees have the ability to grind starting pitchers down into bird food for Edwin’s invisible parrot while the two make their frequent home run trots. forcing a premature encounter with the bullpen. A battle of the bullpens is a contest the Yankees are built to win.

Oh, about those Blue Jays. They were 50-51 before Tulo’s first game and 43-18 after it. They turned their eight-game deficit into a comfortable sixgame division win. Notably, they scored 15 runs three times after the trade, and went 9-4 when it mattered most, obliterating the Yankees into a distant second place. Trading for Tulo didn’t hurt their lineup or impede them from getting rotation help — the Jays edged out the Yankees in a deadline deal for David Price. They pushed the eventual champion Royals to six games. Strengthening their strength worked for the Jays and it can work in the Bronx.

The Yankees know a little extra O never hurt anyone. Except for the pitchers that have to face Edwin and his new team.

The Yankees lineup is about to get a lot bigger and stronger this week. Monday, the Bombers added Edwin Encarnacion, who leads the American League in home runs. Giancarlo Stanton is expected back Tuesday and now, Aaron Boone said that Aaron Judge could be back this week.

“I talked to (Judge) before yesterday’s game, and he’s doing great. He feels good,” the Yankees manager said before the series opener against the Rays at the Stadium. “I think he’d prefer even being back already. But I think the nature of the injury and just how we’ve had to bring him back, I think it’s important that he gets a couple more games down in there where he’s in the field, bouncing back, running the bases, those kinds of things. So, he’s doing really well, he feels good, he feels like he’s ready, so (we’re) excited to see him here in a few days.”

Stanton is coming off three days with Triple-A Scranton after missing 68 games with a series of injuries. He began his stint on the injured list with a strained left biceps and then was being treated for a strained left shoulder. He suffered a strained left calf during his first minor-league rehab assignment.

Judge has been out since April 21 with a strained left oblique. He played his first game in the outfield for the Triple-A club on Sunday.

All that firepower has Boone excited — and cautious. “Look I mean potentially, it’s obviously a great lineup, we have a lot of great players, but it’s gotta go play out, and you know,” Boone said of the potential for a monster lineup.

SURPRISED TO BE HERE

Encarnacion saw the writing on the wall with the Mariners this season. The veteran slugger knew he would likely be traded as part of Seattle’s teardown, but he was surprised to end up in the Bronx.

“I knew I was going to be traded. I didn’t know what team. I didn’t expect to be traded to the Yankees,” Encarnación said, expressing his doubt that rumors of his trade to the Bronx were false. “There were a lot of other teams that had been talking about it. It surprised me the first time I heard it was the Yankees.

“I said, ‘Pooh!’ At the same time, I like it.” Monday night, Encarnacion went 0for-4 with a strikeout.

“Really good. First at-bat, I don’t know if it was 10 pitches or whatever. (Yonny) Chirinos is a pretty tough customer especially on right-handed hitters and I thought his at-bats against him all night were good,” Boone said. “He just missed a couple in his first at-bat, finally got him on a strikeout. He’s a really good hitter, more than just obviously a great power hitter. This guy’s a pro in the box and knows what he’s doing. It’s good to get him in there.”

CSI BRONX

Brian Cashman said he has been asking questions about the odd similarity between the injuries of Luis Severino and Dellin Betances. Both began their stints on the IL with a shoulder issue and then suffered a strained lat while in Tampa rehabbing.

But Cashman isn’t offering any answers.

“We’ve not had these types of episodes occur. I’m not going to go through the findings of those, but if you ask Luis and you ask Dellin or our staff, they know that I’ve come knocking and walked through the process to find out from everybody’s individual perspective how these things have potentially transpired.”