The Yankees are sliding, and Aaron Judge’s recovery isn’t giving them any immediate relief.
Before New York took a 9-3 home loss to the Tigers on Tuesday night, manager Aaron Boone gave an update on Judge during the latest edition of the "Talkin’ Yanks" podcast, and it wasn’t the kind of news Yankees fans were hoping for. Boone said Judge is "probably a couple weeks" from reimaging the stress fracture of the first rib on his right side, the injury that has kept him out since May 31. On June 4, the expectation was that he would be "reimaged in approximately four to six weeks to determine the level of healing and appropriate next steps."
"He’s starting to feel better," Boone said about Judge. "He was uncomfortable there for a while. It seems like the normal stuff is starting to feel better, so hopefully that’s a good sign of some healing, but he’s still not able to do much, and certainly not able to do any baseball activities yet."
That leaves Judge’s timeline murky at best. The last time he played in an MLB game, the Yankees were 36-23. Since then, the slump has deepened badly, with New York closing out June on six straight losses and sitting at 48-37.
Boone’s remarks suggest Judge may not be back with the big-league club until some point in September. And as for outside help, the Yankees may not be able to count on a trade until after the second half starts on July 17.
The frustration spilled over after Tuesday’s defeat. Boone said afterward that "this week’s been pretty crappy" for the Yankees, and shortstop Anthony Volpe said he and his teammates have been "pressing" during the skid.
"Everyone’s pi----," Volpe added, "so we just gotta do what we gotta do - do our jobs - to get a win and start from there."
The Yankees will try to stop the bleeding when they host the 37-49 Tigers on Wednesday afternoon.
In Other News...
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The bigger concern is how thin the margin for error has become. New York has managed only 23 hits over its last six games, the fewest in any six-game span in franchise history, and every decision now gets magnified when the bats are this quiet. Boones in-game maneuvering is already under the microscope, and after the Yankees had a chance to grab the game in the 10th before things unraveled in the 11th, it is clear the debate around his choices is not going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
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Then came the move fans were expecting to hate: rookie right-hander Yovanny Cruz was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, a decision that landed badly because of how effective he has looked in recent relief work. In a bullpen already feeling the strain, the timing made the reaction even sharper, and the backlash around the decision quickly became part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Fans Wont Like Boones Latest Call During This Brutal Skid
The Yankees seven-game slide has put every in-game choice under a microscope, and Aaron Boones latest decision only added to the frustration. In the middle of an extra-inning chance to finally stop the bleeding, the Yankees had their best opening to end the skid after Jos Caballeros bunt moved Spencer Jones to third, setting up a tense spot where the margin for error was tiny.
Instead of leaning into a different look at the plate, Boone stayed with Oswaldo Cabrera and later framed the call as one rooted in confidence that Cabrera could put the ball in play. It was the kind of explanation that is bound to draw second-guessing when a team is stuck in its worst slump since 2023, especially with injuries and a sputtering offense making every missed opportunity feel even bigger. [Read more 🡒]