New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side and is expected to return this season, the team announced Thursday night.
The three-time American League MVP missed three straight games as he underwent various tests this week to pinpoint the reason for discomfort that had hampered him for an extended period.
Judge will miss significant time -- the Yankees said he will be re-imaged in approximately four to six weeks to determine his level of healing and the next steps -- but the club had feared worse. The outfielder underwent an MRI, CT scan and X-rays, and was evaluated by multiple doctors, including Dr. Gregory Pearl, who specializes in thoracic outlet syndrome management in Dallas.
A thoracic outlet diagnosis could have sidelined Judge for the remainder of the year. Instead, the Yankees, who have 100 games remaining, said in Thursday's statement that "Judge is expected to return at some point this season."
Judge, 34, was diagnosed with a stress fracture in one of his right ribs and a partially collapsed lung in March 2020 stemming from him diving for a ball in September 2019. The injury didn't keep him out of any games because the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of the 2020 campaign. A right calf strain ended up limiting him to 28 games as he finished with a .257/.336/.554 slash line and nine home runs in the shortened season.
Judge had played in the Yankees' first 59 games this season before missing Tuesday's series opener against the Cleveland Guardians. The Yankees initially described his injury as a bone bruise. Manager Aaron Boone said Judge did not know when the injury occurred, but it caused pain in his right shoulder that he felt only while swinging and had been managing for weeks.
Judge was batting .275 with 16 home runs and a 1.047 OPS in 43 games through May 12, production that lagged his historic output the past two seasons but remained representative of his caliber. That quickly changed: In his 16 games after that, he batted just .180 with one home run and a .550 OPS in 71 plate appearances.
Judge won the batting title last season when he hit a career-best .331 with 53 homers and a 1.1144 OPS in 152 games. He missed 10 games when he was diagnosed with a flexor strain in his right elbow that he sustained on a throw to home on July 22 in Toronto. He underwent a plasma-rich injection and did not require offseason surgery, though his arm strength was limited for the remainder of the season.
Judge started 52 of the Yankees' first 59 games in right field. Rookie Spencer Jones started four games before getting demoted to Triple-A on May 22, Cody Bellinger started two games, and Randal Grichuk started one before being designated for assignment on April 29.
The Yankees are calling up the power-hitting outfielder Jones, ahead of Friday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox, to replace Judge on the active roster, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Jones, 25, batted .167 with 12 strikeouts and a .426 OPS in 10 games for the Yankees before getting optioned back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on May 22. The 6-foot-7 slugger is the Yankees' No. 5 prospect, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel.
Jones gets the nod over José Caballero, who replaced Judge in right field in the Yankees' first two games against the Guardians. Max Schuemann got his first career start in right field in Thursday's series finale. Amed Rosario, who was another option on the roster, has logged 11⅔ innings over three games there.
When Judge landed on the injured list last season, Giancarlo Stanton played 17 games in the outfield after not playing in the field since 2023. Stanton won't be an option for now as he continues recovering from a strained right calf. The 36-year-old slugger progressed to taking live at-bats on the field Wednesday but has already been ruled out for New York's upcoming road trip.
Jasson Dominguez could soon return from a shoulder injury to provide depth, though he has been limited to left field and designated hitter at the major league level the past two seasons. The 23-year-old former top prospect is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Friday.
