Jessica Capshaw is officially scrubbing into Grey’s Anatomy! Three days after ABC announced the 47-year-old actress would be reprising her role as beloved pediatric surgeon Dr. Arizona Robbins, Capshaw shared a photo from the set of the hit medical drama and revealed the date of her return.
“04.04.24,” Capshaw wrote alongside a close-up photo of her donning scrubs, mask and a floral scrub cap. Her costar Camilla Luddington, who plays OB-GYN resident Jo Wilson, responded in the comment section with a string of diamond and heart emojis.
Hilarie Burton Morgan, who played craniofacial surgeon Lauren Boswell, also teased her own possible return to the series, commenting, “Girl. Meet you in the break room!” Grey’s Anatomy fans may recall that Lauren and Arizona had one-night stand back in season 9 that put a strain on Arizona’s relationship with her now-ex Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramírez).
ABC did immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment about Burton’s potential return. Earlier this week, PEOPLE learned that Capshaw will reprise her role in one episode of the show’s upcoming 20th season.
Capshaw’s return was announced at ABC’s Television Critics Association’s winter 2024 press tour on Saturday. Her Grey’s Anatomy character was last seen in 2018 at the end of season 14 when she moved to New York City to be with Callie and their daughter Sofia. Fans were confused by Capshaw’s seemingly sudden exit, which coincided with Sarah Drew’s and came with little explanation.
“It’s always hard for me to say goodbye to any of my characters,” Grey’s creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes said at the time. “Both Arizona Robbins and April Kepner are not only beloved but iconic — both the LBGTQ and devout Christian communities are underrepresented on TV. I will be forever grateful to both Jessica and Sarah for bringing these characters to life with such vibrant performances and for inspiring women around the globe.”
“For the past 10 years, I have had the rare privilege of not only playing Arizona Robbins, but also being madly in love with playing her. Arizona Robbins is kind, intelligent, funny, insightful, bold, playful, fierce and really good at her job,” Capshaw tweeted in March 2018. “She was one of the first members of the LGBTQ community to be represented in a series regular role on network television. Her impact on the world is permanent and forever.”
She concluded, “I am grateful that I have gotten to bring her to life and for the life that she has brought to me. I am sad to see her go, but I am consoled by the idea that she will continue to live on and on in all of our consciences and our imaginations.”