Aaron Judge’s Rib Injury: Yankees Anticipate His Return This Season

Aaron Judge is facing a stress fracture in his top right rib, with plans for further imaging in four to six weeks. The Yankees are optimistic that once the bone heals, Judge can resume baseball activities and return before the end of the season. While the situation seems straightforward, the journey to this conclusion has been anything but simple.

After a prolonged period of uncertainty, the Yankees provided an update late Thursday night, prompting speculation that they typically prefer to avoid. On Friday, Judge, manager Aaron Boone, and GM Brian Cashman addressed the media to clarify the timeline of events leading to this diagnosis.

Judge shared that he believes the injury occurred during a dive to avoid Jazz Chisholm Jr. in a game against the Astros on April 26. He continued to play, unaware that the injury was affecting his performance. His numbers reflected this struggle; an .805 OPS in May alongside a .194 ISO fell significantly below his career averages. Boone later acknowledged that the signs had been evident, even if they only became clear during the recent series against the Athletics.

“I noticed it getting worse by Sacramento. Like, I noticed it,” Boone remarked. “That’s when I kind of first said something to him. It’s tough to say whether it’s something that worsened over the weeks.” Judge echoed these sentiments, admitting that by the weekend, he was limiting his swings during games due to discomfort.

Cashman recounted his surprise when trainer Mike Schuk informed him on Monday that Judge’s shoulder was hurting and required imaging. Until that point, there had been no indication of any significant issue. “We turn the clock back and try to figure out, did it happen on this play or that play,” Cashman said, referencing potential moments of impact during games. “But none of the shared feelings from [Judge] at that time leveled up to anything.”

As the investigation progressed, Yankees doctor Christopher Ahmad expressed concern about the initial diagnosis of a bone bruise. Given Judge’s history of a rib injury in a similar area, he advised further testing to rule out any serious complications. This led to consultations with Dr. Gregory Pearl, a rib specialist in Texas, which fueled speculation about potential thoracic outlet syndrome. However, Judge clarified that this concern was unfounded. “I don’t think thoracic was ever involved in this at all,” he stated. “The worst thing I had in my eyes was a fractured rib, which is what we got.”

Looking forward, neither Cashman nor Boone is willing to set a specific target date for Judge’s return. “We just have to let the thing heal,” Cashman commented. Boone noted that once the imaging shows healing, Judge can begin to ramp up his activities. Judge himself avoided discussing a timeline, saying, “I don’t like talking timetables. That stuff’s all made up.”

Despite the uncertainty, the Yankees remain hopeful about Judge’s return this season. Boone acknowledged the unpredictable nature of injuries but expressed confidence in their expectations. “None of us are guaranteed tomorrow, so there’s always a scenario,” he said. “The expectation is that he will be.”

The organization is so confident in Judge’s eventual return that Cashman revealed he is not altering his trade deadline plans due to the injury. “If we expect him back, which we do, I don’t see why now would impact something for the deadline,” he stated. “We just have to hold the fort.”

As the dust settles around this diagnosis, it appears that Judge’s injury may be more serious than initially thought, yet not catastrophic. Judge expressed his disappointment, while Cashman had hoped for a less severe issue that would require only a short stint on the injured list. Nevertheless, both men pointed to the strength of the Yankees’ starting rotation and the emergence of Ben Rice, who homered in his first at-bat after Judge’s placement on the injured list, as reasons for optimism moving forward. “We’ve got a good club regardless,” Cashman concluded. “It’s obviously not as good without Aaron Judge, but still good enough.”

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.