Aaron Judge’s Recovery Stalled as Yankees Await Clearance for Baseball Activities

Aaron Judge remains sidelined as his broken rib struggles to heal, leaving the New York Yankees captain without clearance to resume baseball activities. The stress fracture in Judge’s right ribs has kept him off the field since May 31, and while a recent scan during the All-Star break indicated partial healing, he is still awaiting further updates from his medical team on his recovery plan.

“I feel good about the fact that he will be back. It’s just a matter of when,” manager Aaron Boone shared on Friday, just ahead of a crucial weekend series against the two-time World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees, who were 36-23 when Judge last played, have struggled since, posting an 18-19 record in the second half of the season.

Judge has been a significant contributor when healthy, boasting a .248 batting average with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs, although he has managed just one homer in his last 18 games. The Yankees are not only missing their captain; designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has been absent since April 24 due to a strained right calf. Additionally, left-handers Max Fried and Carlos Rodón are both on the injured list, with Fried dealing with a left elbow bone bruise and Rodón experiencing left elbow inflammation. Fried is expected to make a rehab start on Friday, while Clarke Schmidt, recovering from Tommy John surgery, is set to throw an inning of batting practice on Saturday.

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