Aaron Judge Injury: Yankees Star Not Yet Cleared

Sport

By lines

July 19, 2026

The Aaron Judge injury saga rolls on as the New York Yankees captain stays sidelined. Judge is not cleared for baseball activities after his latest rib imaging. New scans showed healing in Judge’s fractured right rib, but not enough. Judge has not played for the Yankees since May 31.

Yankees Wait as Judge’s Rib Heals Slowly

The Yankees re-imaged Judge’s right rib during the All-Star break. The latest scans arrived on July 17 and showed healing, but not full clearance. Judge said there is ‘some progress, some healing going on, but it’s not fully healed.’ The Yankees have not set a firm return date for Judge. The team plans further medical consultation over the next couple of weeks.

Judge traces the fracture to a diving attempt on April 26 at Houston. Judge kept playing for weeks before the rib fracture sidelined him. Across 59 games this season, Judge batted .248 with 17 home runs. Judge also drove in 38 runs and posted a .907 OPS before the injury.

Judge owns three American League Most Valuable Player awards in his career. Judge set the AL single-season home run record with 62 in 2022. The Yankees have leaned on that bat throughout their recent contention window. Judge’s absence has tested New York’s lineup for nearly two months.

The Yankees have stayed afloat without Judge behind other bats. Cody Bellinger won the 2026 All-Star Game MVP for the American League on July 14. Bellinger drove in two runs as the AL blanked the NL 4 to 0. Still, New York misses the three-time MVP’s power in the middle of the order.

The New York Yankees entered the second half chasing the Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa Bay owns the American League’s best record at 56 and 40. The MLB trade deadline arrives on August 3 at 6 p.m. ET. Judge’s timeline now shapes how aggressively the Yankees shop for hitters.

Judge expressed confidence about returning this season during the All-Star break. ‘Yeah, definitely. I don’t see why I wouldn’t,’ Judge said. Judge does not expect to need a full spring training to ramp back up. A healthy Judge would reshape the American League playoff race by August. The Yankees await another round of Judge scans within the next two weeks.