Aaron Judge had his fractured right rib re-imaged over the All-Star break, and the results, disclosed Friday afternoon, showed healing without enough of it to clear him to resume baseball activities.
“There’s some progress, some healing going on, but it’s not fully healed,” Judge said, per MLB.com. The imaging was performed Wednesday. The Yankees are now waiting on Dr. Gregory Pearl, the Dallas-based specialist overseeing the case, to review the results and set both the activities Judge can progress to and the timing of the next round of imaging.
That is the part that matters for a team seven days from a trade deadline. There is no target date attached to this update, because the next decision point is another scan rather than a rehab schedule. Judge is believed to have sustained the injury in late April and has not played since May 31. He continues to say he expects to play again this season, and ESPN has reported that mid-to-late August reads as a best-case return.
The lineup has made the absence plain. Without Judge, the Yankees are averaging 4.16 runs per game, the eighth-worst mark in the majors, and Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Dodgers followed the pattern. Roki Sasaki outdueled Gerrit Cole in the second-half opener, and New York’s offense produced one run against a rotation it will likely have to beat in October if it gets there.
So the front office is building a deadline plan around a bat it cannot count on. General manager Brian Cashman has acknowledged the club’s catching is “an issue,” and the numbers back him up: Yankees catchers have combined for a .519 OPS this season, tied with the White Sox for the lowest in baseball. Jon Heyman has reported that shortstop is not a priority, with Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero splitting time.
Judge’s return, whenever Dr. Pearl clears it, is the largest available upgrade to this roster and the one New York cannot trade for. Everything the Yankees do before Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET is an attempt to stay close enough that it still matters.
