New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge has missed action since early June because of a stress fracture in his first rib on the right side. However, his return timeline remains uncertain.
MLB has entered the All-Star break, so the Yankees won’t play again until Friday. This week, though, could prove pivotal in determining Judge’s outlook for the remainder of the 2026 season. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, it could also influence how aggressive New York becomes ahead of the August trade deadline.
Passan’s Update on Judge
During an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Monday morning, Passan explained what this week could mean for Judge’s recovery and how the results may shape the Yankees’ approach to the trade deadline.
“This is an important week, not just for Aaron Judge, but the New York Yankees and really how they approach the rest of the season… they are finally going to be re-imaging that rib this week to see what progress has been made.
“Aaron Judge has been working on lower-body activities, but there haven’t been any swings taken. There’s really been no work done on his upper body at this point. Once the Yankees have a decent sense of Aaron Judge’s timeline, which they’re anticipating getting this week, they’re going to know so much better what their posture should be at the trade deadline. If Aaron Judge is coming back soon, then they may be pushing in a little bit harder. If not, it may be a little bit lighter.”
.@JeffPassan speaks on how Aaron Judge’s injury recovery affects the Yankees at the trade deadline 👀 pic.twitter.com/FtXhGuzs8F
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 13, 2026
Yankees’ Recent Struggles
New York enters the All-Star break on a four-game winning streak, but the Yankees went just 2-11 over the previous 13 games. Since Judge’s injury, they have hovered around .500 and surrendered their AL East lead to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Yankees are 54-42, trailing the Rays by three games. Tampa Bay enters the break at 56-38.
When play resumes later this week, New York will open the second half against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Bronx. The hope is Judge’s return won’t be far behind, as the Yankees continue to miss his presence in the middle of the lineup.
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