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Yankees Lose Aaron Judge to Rib Fracture, Depth Tested

6/9/2026

40 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Aaron Judge Injured

The New York Yankees said outfielder Aaron Judge has a stress fracture of his right first rib and will miss time this season.
Ben Rice, who posted a .222 average and .778 OPS in five games, is slated by ESPN for 46 home runs, below a 50-plus expectation.
The Yankees promoted Spencer Jones, who had .167 average, 12 strikeouts and .426 OPS in 10 games before being optioned to Triple-A.

Summary

Aaron Judge Fractures

Aaron Judge suffered a rare first-rib stress fracture, his second after a 2020 spring-training break.
Specialists ruled out thoracic outlet syndrome and linked the fracture to a diving attempt in the outfield.
The injury lies below the collarbone, where the first rib anchors neck muscles and can affect breathing and nerves.
Doctors prescribe four to six weeks of rest before re-imaging, noting no clear recovery precedent.

History

Historical Context

After the Yankees set a franchise record with 114 wins and captured their 24th World Series in 1998 under manager Joe Torre, the club has repeatedly faced rib injuries to power hitters. In 2024, captain Aaron Judge suffered a first-rib fracture, echoing past setbacks and prompting the team to emphasize preventive conditioning and deeper roster depth.

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Aaron Judge Injured

The New York Yankees said outfielder Aaron Judge has a stress fracture of his right first rib and will miss time this season.
Ben Rice, who posted a .222 average and .778 OPS in five games, is slated by ESPN for 46 home runs, below a 50-plus expectation.
The Yankees promoted Spencer Jones, who had .167 average, 12 strikeouts and .426 OPS in 10 games before being optioned to Triple-A.

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