Yankees’ Luke Voit belts homer in first at-bat in return from injury

Luke Voit returned to the Yankees’ lineup with a bang.

Voit, hitting third in the lineup, hit a solo home run in the first inning of the Yankees-Royals game Tuesday night at the Stadium, his first at-bat since suffering a right oblique strain on May 16. Voit belted the deep homer to left field on the first pitch he saw from Royals starter Brady Singer.

The Bombers have missed Voit, who led the majors with 22 home runs last year while slashing .277/.338/.610 with a .948 OPS. He missed the season’s first 34 games due to a torn meniscus in his left knee, and wasn’t right upon return, slashing .182/.280/.250 in 12 games. Then he suffered a right oblique strain on May 16 and had been out since.

This is just the 13th game Voit is playing in this season. He entered the night hitting just .182 with a homer and three RBIs.

Voit is aware of how important his return to the lineup is to the Yankees.

“I got to do some damage when I’m back out there,” he said recently during a rehab assignment. “I just want to get back. This is killing me.”