NEW YORK -- The Yankees received a glimpse of what their lineup might look like without Aaron Judge during their three-game series against the Guardians, which concluded with a small-ball rally producing a tight 2-1 victory on Thursday.
Their immediate future could look a lot like that.
Judge was diagnosed with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side, the Yankees announced on Thursday, an injury that will require a period of rest and inactivity.
The team said that Judge would be reimaged in four to six weeks to determine a level of healing, and the appropriate next steps.
An absence that could stretch into August carries a sliver of good news, however, as the Yankees feared a season-ending injury. The diagnosis came after a consultation with Dr. Gregory Pearl of Dallas, who specializes in “thoracic outlet syndrome management in high-performance athletes,” according to his practice’s website.
Judge remained in New York but underwent days of testing that included an MRI, X-rays and a CT scan. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that edema, or swelling, complicated efforts to identify the source of Judge’s issue.
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. With Judge headed for the injured list, plus Jasson Domínguez and Giancarlo Stanton still rehabbing, Spencer Jones is reportedly being called up, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.
“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, when he also sustained a stress fracture of his right first rib while attempting a diving catch in a September 2019 game.
Judge played through that injury into the 2019 postseason, then was diagnosed with a punctured lung during the offseason. Had the pandemic-shortened ‘20 season started on time, he would have been on the injured list until June.