NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge was out of the starting lineup for a third consecutive game on Thursday as the Yankees' medical staff continues to seek a clear read on what is ailing the club's captain.
Having experienced discomfort over the past several weeks that was initially diagnosed as a bone bruise near his right rib cage, Judge underwent an MRI on Tuesday at the direction of Dr. Gregory J. Pearl of Dallas, Texas, who specializes in “thoracic outlet syndrome management in high-performance athletes,” according to his practice’s website.
Judge has remained in New York but had additional testing on Wednesday, including X-rays and a CT scan. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that edema, or swelling, has complicated efforts to identify the source of Judge’s issue.
“Look, it’s a lot of smart people in a specialized area, and the guy is several states away,” Boone said. “We’ve just got to be patient.”
The Yankees hope to rule out thoracic outlet syndrome, which would likely be a season-ending diagnosis. Though typically seen more in pitchers, first baseman Jared Walsh (2022) and catcher Mike Zunino (2022) have also experienced it.
Boone is among those growing anxious for an answer. He said that he left the dugout seeking one during Thursday’s 2-1 victory over the Guardians. He was told that the team was still waiting for the specialist to weigh in.
“I promise you, when we know, we’re going to give it to you,” Boone said.
Judge missed his first game of the season on Tuesday after reporting discomfort during the club’s series against the Athletics in West Sacramento.
In his absence, the Yankees had José Caballero and Max Schuemann play right field during the Cleveland series, while still holding out hope that Judge -- a three-time AL MVP (2022, ’24, ’25) -- may be able to avoid a stint on the injured list.
“We’re hoping there’s that chance,” Boone said.
“Aaron obviously means a lot to us,” Gerrit Cole said. “He just plays great baseball all the time and brings great energy. It’s tough when guys get hurt, but unfortunately, it’s part of the game. As a team, you’ve got to figure out how to step up in those situations, and so that’s what we’ll do.”
According to Boone, Judge has been managing discomfort in his right shoulder for “the last couple of weeks,” though he only feels it when swinging. Judge has not spoken to reporters since the club’s series in West Sacramento.
Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said that within the clubhouse and dugout, Judge has maintained his positive demeanor.
“I’ve never seen him negative, ever,” Chisholm said. “To be honest with you, it’s the same guy every day. I think he’s handling it really well.”
Boone said Judge could not identify a specific play when the discomfort began.
Since May 11, Judge is 14-for-68 (.206) with one home run, eight RBIs and 19 strikeouts. Overall, he is slashing .248/.375/.533 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs in 59 games.
In 2019, Judge endured a significant issue with his right rib cage. He sustained a stress fracture of his right first rib and a partially collapsed lung while attempting a diving catch in a September 2019 game.