Judge’s Condition Remains Uncertain as Yankees Await Updates
As concerns mount over Aaron Judge’s health—specifically a bone contusion near his right rib cage that’s impacting his swing—the Yankees are left waiting for clarity. By the end of Wednesday night, it seemed like the only thing certain was that the uncertainty would stretch into Thursday.
Judge missed his second consecutive game during the Yankees’ narrow 5-4 loss to the Guardians. Manager Aaron Boone mentioned that a specialist examined Judge on Wednesday to assess the situation. However, Judge intends to undergo a “higher power and more specific” test focusing on the ribs and chest to secure a clearer diagnosis.
“We just want to make sure we know exactly what we are dealing with,” Boone stated. “That way, we can decide on what to do next and have an idea about the timeline.”
As Judge remained off the injured list while the Yankees left the stadium after another defeat, the extra testing certainly cast doubt on his superstar status.
Judge last participated in a game on Sunday, had imaging tests done on Monday during the team’s off day, and consulted with team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad on Tuesday before specialists got involved.
On Wednesday, he worked out in the weight room, received treatment, and anxiously awaited news on whether he’d face a brief stint on the injured list, go on injured reserve, or face a longer timeline on the sidelines.
In the meantime, the Yankees adjusted their lineup, placing Jose Caballero in right field and Ben Rice in a more prominent role.
Before the game, Boone shared that he was unsure how much longer the Yankees would be without Judge’s contributions before they might need to make a deal.
“It likely depends on what the doctors confirm about his condition,” he remarked.
The Yankees faced another challenge as they started Caballero, who had not played since September before Monday, alongside Rice, now in his second full MLB season. Boone noted the team’s faith in Caballero but acknowledged the difficulty of the situation.
Caballero managed to hit a home run and a single, but Rice couldn’t capitalize on his 17 home runs and 44 RBIs, only hitting a double among the team’s five hits.
Initially, Boone and the Yankees were hopeful that Judge, who has struggled with injuries, would be back in a few days. However, as further tests piled up, the situation appeared increasingly concerning.
Judge hadn’t been on the IL since July 2025, when he missed ten games due to a flexor strain in his right elbow. The previous year, he had been out for over a month because of a torn ligament in his right big toe. The Yankees needed to find effective replacements for the three-time American League MVP, who boasted a .331 batting average and hit 17 home runs by the beginning of 2026.
However, his recent performance hasn’t been stellar, with just 17 hits in 82 games. Over the last 22 games up to Tuesday, he recorded a .207 average, struck out 26 times, and saw his overall average plummet to .248. Since May 11, he managed only six extra-base hits and one home run.
He even had a career-worst stretch of 11 games without a hit last month. For a player of his caliber, that’s quite alarming, and Boone acknowledged that “I think there’s some correlation” between the slump and a nagging injury that seems to have worsened.
Despite these challenges, Boone believed the Yankees were somewhat better prepared to cope with Judge’s absence compared to previous seasons.
Yet, after failing to perform well without him in two earlier instances, the pressing question of how long they could continue without their star lingered into the next day.
“You definitely don’t like to see injuries,” said Gerrit Cole. “Aaron’s obviously a huge part of our team, always bringing his best. It’s tough when injuries happen, but that’s part of the game, and as a team, we need to step up.”
“And we will.”
