Aaron Judge’s latest injury update gives the Yankees reason to hope, but not much reason to relax.
The captain is feeling better after dealing with a right rib stress fracture, and manager Aaron Boone said this weekend that Judge had been rehabbing at home and was expected to rejoin the team in Philadelphia on Sunday. But better is not the same as ready, and Judge is still not close to swinging a bat.
That’s the part that matters most. The Yankees keep insisting he will return this season, but the path back still looks long, and the details around his rehab suggest this is not a quick fix.
Judge has been out since May 31. Ten days ago, imaging showed the rib was healing, but not enough to clear him for baseball work. Since then, he has been limited to lower-body and neck exercises, and more recently was restricted to an incline treadmill after avoiding a stationary bike.
Dr. Craig Pille, a sports medicine physician at NYU Langone Health, offered the most cautious read on the situation during a weekly injury segment. He called rib stress fractures stubborn injuries, especially for an athlete with prior issues in the same area.
“Rib stress fractures are really tough injuries and can be very painful for athletes,” Pille said. “Recurrent stress injuries in the same area can make these injuries more stingy, more persistent and more difficult to deal with.”
Pille pointed to Judge’s similar injury at the end of 2019, which came with complications, as a reason the Yankees are likely to stay patient. He said recovery timelines for rib stress fractures can range from six weeks in mild cases to 12 to 14 weeks in severe ones.
His own estimate leaned toward the longer end.
“I think this is going to be trending more along a 12-week course,” Pille said. “My hope would be steady progress over the next, you know, rest of time here in July, most of August. And then hopefully by that time frame, we’re looking at just about 12 weeks, and hopefully he can be ready for a meaningful push into September.”
That timeline is the real warning sign for the Yankees. Pille said Judge is only now moving from rest into cardio and aerobic work, and that throwing and swinging would come later, gradually, with pain guiding every step. He also said the team will likely wait until Judge feels like himself again, not just physically available.
Boone did offer a positive note, though not one tied to a return date.
“I know the last couple days, in my conversations with him before I came on the trip, he felt quite a bit better and was encouraged with how he was feeling,” Boone said. “We’re just in that still letting-it-heal mode to the end.”
The Yankees have felt the absence. They entered Saturday 22-22 in games Judge has missed, and the offense has not come close to replacing what he brings.
Since June 1, the day after Judge last played, New York has averaged four runs per game, fifth-fewest in the majors. Its 89 wRC+ was third-worst, its .680 OPS fourth-worst, its .286 on-base percentage last in baseball and its 26 percent strikeout rate also the worst.
At the time of the injury, Judge was hitting .248 with 17 home runs, 38 RBIs and a .908 OPS. The average didn’t tell the whole story; his presence changed the way opposing pitchers worked through the entire lineup.
The timing only adds to the pressure. The Aug. 3 trade deadline is approaching, and the Yankees are already looking for a catcher, bullpen help and another bat. Judge’s uncertain return makes that last need even more urgent.
If he were close, a complementary hitter might be enough. With no clear date attached to his comeback, the Yankees may have to treat another offense upgrade as a necessity.
New York entered the weekend at 59-45, second in the American League East and about two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays. The pitching has kept them afloat, but the lineup is still waiting on a return that nobody can pin down yet.
For now, the Yankees have progress without clearance and optimism without a timetable. Until Judge is back doing actual baseball work, the concern isn’t going anywhere.
In Other News...
Former Yankees Arm Is Suddenly Back In Trade Rumors
The Padres are once again drawing trade attention as the deadline approaches, and the possibility has a familiar Yankees angle attached to it. According to USA Todays Bob Nightengale and rival executives, San Diego could listen on right-handed starter Michael King if the club decides to move into sell-off mode, a sign that the roster picture may be shifting fast enough to put even established arms in play.
Kings appeal is obvious for any contender looking for rotation help, especially with a contract that runs through 2024 and includes player options beyond that. For the Yankees, who know him well from his time in the organization, the bigger question is whether San Diego actually follows through on a deal or simply keeps one of its more useful starters in place as the deadline nears. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Just Flipped A Yankees Problem Into Something More Annoying
Bostons latest move sent left-hander Connelly Early to Washington, a name Yankees fans know well from his work against them in last years Wild Card Game 3 and again this season. Early had been sidelined since June 30 with elbow issues, so the Red Sox were already dealing with a pitcher whose status had become part of their larger roster puzzle.
What makes the deal more interesting from the Yankees side is what Boston got back: Curtis Mead, whose first half included 17 home runs and a 135 OPS+. Even before you get to the lineup fit, the transaction adds another layer of uncertainty to how the Red Sox sort out second base, shortstop, designated hitter and left field, which is the kind of roster congestion that can shape what comes next in the division. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Be Eyeing A Bigger Deadline Bat Than Expected
The Yankees are still looking for offense ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline, and the latest name to surface is one that would signal a bigger swing than a typical rental bat. Washingtons shortstop situation has drawn New Yorks attention as the club keeps searching for ways to lengthen the lineup, even if the fit would come with more moving parts than a straight plug-and-play addition.
The Nationals are not actively shopping, but they are willing to listen if a serious offer comes along, and they have every reason to ask for a premium with the team still in the playoff mix. Any real pursuit would force the Yankees to weigh a complicated package and the ripple effects on their infield alignment, which is part of why this remains more intriguing than simple at this stage. [Read more 🡒]