"I don't like talking time tables... they are all made up." – Aaron Judge
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side, the team announced. Judge has been placed on the 10-day injured list, and the Yankees have recalled outfielder Spencer Jones from Triple-A to replace him on the active roster.
Diagnosis and Timeline
The diagnosis was made following X-rays, a CT scan, and an MRI on Thursday, June 19. Judge missed the team's three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians earlier in the week due to an unspecified injury.
According to the Yankees, Judge will be shut down for four to six weeks before undergoing follow-up imaging to assess healing. A return-to-play timeline will be determined after that evaluation. Judge is expected to return before the end of the season, with a potential return in August at the earliest. Judge will initially be placed on the 10-day injured list, and the team may later transfer him to the 60-day injured list.
Judge told reporters he does not "like talking time tables" because, in his view, they are "all made up" and subject to change.
Nature of the Injury
Sources provide differing accounts of the injury's origin. Judge stated that he believes the injury occurred while diving to avoid colliding with a teammate during an April 27 game in Texas. Other reporting indicates the injury was not caused by a single play, but that Judge experienced increasing discomfort while hitting over recent weeks. Judge has a history of this injury, having sustained a similar stress fracture of the same rib in 2019, which did not cause him to miss game time due to the pandemic shutdown.
Judge reported that pain and discomfort intensified, leading him to stop taking pregame swings last weekend before being shut down.
Performance Context
Judge's statistical performance has changed over the course of the season. He recorded a .262/.392/.645 batting line through April 28. In the 29 games since then, he has hit .234/.357/.421.
For the season overall, Judge is hitting .248/.375/.533 with 17 home runs in 261 plate appearances. In May, he hit .243/.368/.437 with five home runs. In April 2024, he posted an OPS above 1.000 with 12 home runs. Judge and Ben Rice are the only Yankees with at least 10 home runs this season.
Team Context
The Yankees are currently without several other players due to injury:
- Giancarlo Stanton is on the injured list with a calf strain and is expected to return in approximately two weeks.
- Jasson Domínguez is taking batting practice and may begin a rehabilitation assignment this week.
- Utility players José Caballero and Max Schuemann have started the last three games in right field.
The Yankees recalled Spencer Jones from Triple-A to replace Judge on the roster. Jones, a first-round pick in the 2022 MLB draft, made his MLB debut on May 8 after Domínguez was placed on the injured list with a shoulder injury. In 27 plate appearances during that stint, Jones recorded a .167/.259/.167 batting line with 12 strikeouts.