The Yankees remain confident that Aaron Judge will play again this season.
But when general manager Brian Cashman was asked during a media scrum Monday night if it’s possible that the Yanks captain could miss the rest of 2026, he did not rule out that possibility.
"Like, is that possible? It's always possible that things don't go the way you want,” Cashman said, “but we currently are still very optimistic that he's going to return. But there's challenges with all that, too. … So I can't rule out any of it."
Judge has not played in a game since May 31 because of a right rib stress fracture. More than two months later, he still has not been cleared to resume baseball activities and has been limited to doing only neck and lower-body exercises.
A few days after Judge underwent imaging on his rib during the All-Star break, he said the results showed “some healing going on, but it’s not fully healed.” He will undergo another round of imaging at some point, but Cashman declined Monday to say when that will take place.
Although a realistic target date for Judge’s return won’t be better known until he can resume baseball activities, the Yankees have consistently said they expect the three-time MVP to return during the regular season.
“It's a pretty high likelihood and optimism that he fits that timeframe for him to get back and joins us," Cashman said. "And that's what I'm hoping and holding on to, and I know that's what he believes, and I know that's what the doctors believe.
“But it's always a moving target, too.”
Judge hit 17 home runs and produced a .908 OPS in 59 games before being placed on the injured list. It is believed that he sustained the rib injury in late April and that he played through it for more than another month.
The Yankees have gone 27-27 through 54 games without their leader. His absence -- along with the injuries to Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton -- has really left a mark on the team’s offense; New York ranks in the bottom five in the Majors since June 1 in runs per game (3.96, 26th), batting average (.221, 30th), on-base percentage (.283, 30th) and OPS (.672, tied for 27th).
In possession of the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the American League and 3 1/2 games behind the Rays in the AL East entering Tuesday, the Yankees are hoping that Trade Deadline acquisitions Luis García Jr. (from the Nationals) and Heliot Ramos (from the Giants) will boost their struggling lineup.
The club did see some immediate returns Monday, when García hit a go-ahead home run in his team debut during a 13-7 loss to the Cardinals at Yankee Stadium. It was just the fourth time in their past 41 games that the Yanks scored more than five runs.