NEW YORK – Aaron Judge was perched atop the dugout railing in the late innings on Tuesday evening, cheering on his Yankees teammates as they attempted to punch back in their lopsided loss to the Guardians. He’ll almost certainly be back in the same spot at some point on Wednesday.
The captain’s next expected appearance in the batter’s box is less certain.
Judge underwent imaging after his swings were affected by discomfort in his right shoulder and upper rib area during the club’s recent series in West Sacramento, and manager Aaron Boone said after the club’s 9-4 loss that Judge is scheduled to see a specialist for an additional opinion.
“It’s kind of a unique spot,” Boone said. “We’ll have the specialist probably look at it tomorrow and see where we’re at and see how he feels [Wednesday] with it.”
The team said initial results revealed a bone bruise in Judge’s right rib cage, though he feels it mostly in his right shoulder, and only when swinging.
Judge had been in the starting lineup for every game so far in 2026, but instead he had an appointment with team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad.
The Yankees are not ruling out a stint on the injured list, but for the moment, Judge is considered day to day.
“Obviously, it’s a huge loss in the lineup,” said Cody Bellinger. “We’ve all got to pick it up around him.”
“We’d love to have him in the lineup for this team; he’s the captain for a reason,” Paul Goldschmidt said. “But if he does end up missing time, whether it’s short or long, the guys that are here are going to have to step up and play well.”
Boone said that Judge has been managing nagging soreness in his right shoulder for “the last couple of weeks,” but the manager said he sensed it appeared to become more of a problem during the series against the Athletics.
Judge went 2-for-12 in the set, driving in four runs.
“The last couple of games in Sacramento, I think it became a little more than that, where I noticed it with some swings and stuff,” Boone said. “I think it was affecting him.”
Boone said Judge could not identify a specific play where the discomfort began. Since May 11, Judge is 14-for-68 (.206) with one home run, eight RBIs and 19 strikeouts.
José Caballero started in right field on Tuesday.
Judge, 34, has won three of the American League’s past four Most Valuable Player Awards (2022, ’24, ’25). He’s slashing .248/.375/.533 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs in 59 games.
“Hopefully, it is something that we just get calmed down here and put it behind us,” Boone said.