After a nearly decade-long absence from The Young and the Restless, Victor Newman, Jr., is returning to Genoa City.

Talk of the character's return have been buzzing around the Web for awhile now, but the CBS soap opera is finally confirming the news, announcing that Chris Engen has earned the role.

Of course, viewers will need to suspend disbelief when Victor Jr. finally does return to the screen. Here's why: When last seen on-screen in 1998, Victor Jr. was a pre-schooler played by Hayden Tank.

Last year, however, the character was "aged" off-screen as a device to usher Victor out of the show's storylines for several weeks. The exit was necessary to allow actor Eric Braeden (Victor Newman) to have some time off from The Young and the Restless in order to film a movie.

During that time, Victor Jr. was said to be in trouble somewhere in the South Pacific.

This time around, Engen - and, therefore, the character - are 27-year old. Quick math, of course, states that the character should only be nearing high school age in the real world. However, the writers' decision last year to fudge Victor Jr.'s age now allows them to explore alternate story lines.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.