NEW YORK — All of the buzz in the Bronx on Tuesday night was around the return of Aaron Judge to the Yankees’ lineup.

However, across the diamond, the Rockies were more than happy to welcome back one of their own offensive cogs from the injured list.

After battling concussion symptoms since first being placed on the injured list Aug. 12, Kyle Karros settled back into his normal spot at third base Tuesday night as the Rockies opened a six-game road swing through New York and Detroit.

It took a trip to Double-A Hartford for four games to end last week for Karros to feel not only 100 percent after his concussion caused by a collision with shortstop Ezequiel Tovar in Arizona but also feel ready at the plate to take on MLB pitchers.

Karros slashed .400/.471/.667 with a home run, three RBIs and a stolen base during his time in Hartford, showing he could hit for average, power and even flash some speed.

The time in Hartford not only connected the 24-year-old Karros back to the skill set needed by the Rockies, but also to a few friends who were drafted by Colorado in the same class as Karros in 2023 and some with whom he crossed paths in Low-A Spokane during his time there. Among those were outfielders GJ Hill, Braylen Wimmer and Jared Thomas as well as catcher Cole Messina.

Familiar faces helped Karros in a very unfamiliar time of figuring out when it was right to really return from concussion protocol to the diamond. Karros tried to come back Aug. 21 but played two games before going back into concussion protocol.

“I felt good there (Hartford). Really happy I got to get some games under my belt before coming back here,” Karros said on Tuesday inside the Rockies clubhouse. “I just feel a lot different coming back into the lineup than I did last time, having some in-game experience, having that confidence that I can get through nine.

“Stuff with the head is so confusing because it’s not a very linear timeline. You can feel good one day and then stuff comes back the next. It’s definitely frustrating. But in the end, I had some good support around me and good mentors walking me through it. Our training staff handled it really nicely and allowed me to get the rest and recovery I needed to ultimately get back to 100 percent.”

Manager Warren Schaeffer was glad to welcome Karros back into the lineup on Tuesday, knowing it was the right time for his health.

“I’m just thrilled that he’s feeling good,” Schaeffer said. “He adds so much to our offense and defense, so it’s good to have him come back.”

Karros was on a roll when he collided with Tovar on Aug. 11. He was slashing .306/.399/.508 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs in 58 games since June 1, a span of 200 plate appearances. During that time, he ranked fifth in OBP and OPS (.907) and seventh in average in the National League.

On the day he was injured, he had just hit a game-tying two-run home run in the top of the sixth before leaving in the bottom of the same inning with a concussion.

“I think the game taught me a ton about what I needed to do at the plate, whether it was mechanical or whether it was my approach,” Karros said of his season so far. “I think I learned a lot early on and, over the past couple months, I’ve really found myself at this level and I’m looking to pick up right where I left off.”

Karros watched as his friend and former teammate who he said made an enormous impact on him, Ryan McMahon, launched an RBI double in the fifth inning Tuesday night as part of New York’s 5-3 series-opening victory.

McMahon was the primary player at the hot corner in Denver for five of his nine seasons in a Rockies uniform. His trade to the Yankees on July 25, 2025, opened the door for Karros, who made his MLB debut Aug. 8, 2025, to take over the position.

“I look forward to seeing him hopefully pregame one of these days,” Karros said of McMahon. “It’s always cool playing against him, but I’m more interested in how life’s going and how his family is doing. It’ll be cool to catch up.”