Short Handed?

[Zepp]

A recent situation was brought up at our mid-high school season
meeting last nite.

Here's the sitch: (ASA rule set) Team A has only 9 players to start the game.
In the 3rd inning, Team A is batting with two outs and a player gets in a run-down, mis-steps and "tweaks" her ankle. She is tagged for the third out.
Team A takes the field with 8 players (2 outfielders) and the injured player remains on the bench. Team A completes the half-inning on defense and enters the dugout to begin their turn at bat. Team A bats through the order and the next batter due up is the player who did not play defense in the previous half-inning. She walks out of the dugout tells the umpire that she feels fine and wants to hit.

The question is: Should she be allowed to hit or not?

The debate was whether she has "left the game" since she did not play defense and therefore cannot return to the line-up (Rule 4-1-D-2-f)

FYI - Obviously,this was not a blood rule situation