Aaron Judge Cleared for Light Activity, Eyes Return Before Season Ends

On August 5, the New York Yankees announced that slugger Aaron Judge has been cleared for “light activity,” including outdoor running and upper-body resistance work. The 34-year-old, who has been on the 60-day injured list since May 31, reiterated his intention to play again this season.

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Judge suffered a stress fracture in his right first rib while attempting a diving catch on May 26 in Houston against the Astros. He was placed on the 10-day injured list that day and later moved to the 60-day IL on July 18. The injury has coincided with other key absences—Giancarlo Stanton (right calf strain since April 25) and Cody Bellinger (left hamstring strain since July 26)—leaving the Yankees’ offense struggling. To address the shortfall, the club acquired first baseman Luis García Jr. (from the Washington Nationals) and outfielder Heliot Ramos (from the San Francisco Giants) before the August 3 trade deadline, and later promoted prospect George Lombard Jr.

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• Judge’s 2024 line through 59 games: .248 batting average, 17 home runs, 38 RBIs, .907 OPS (151 OPS+).

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• Yankees overall record: 64-50; record since Judge’s last game on May 31: 28-27.

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• Team run production dropped from 5.17 runs per game (while Judge was healthy) to 3.93 runs per game after his injury.

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He emphasized that hitting will be the ultimate test of his recovery. General manager Brian Cashman expressed cautious optimism, acknowledging that the timeline remains uncertain but that the organization remains hopeful for a season-ending return.

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Judge’s own confidence that he will appear before season’s end contrasts with Dr. Morse’s projection of a mid-to-late-September return. No definitive timetable has been provided by the Yankees, and the exact date when Judge will resume full baseball activities (hitting, throwing) remains unspecified.

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• “I think that’s going to be the ultimate test, is hitting,” — Aaron Judge

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• “I’ve got a broken rib, so you’re going to feel it. But it’s healing up. So that’s the progress we want see so we can start doing some more and kind of testing and see where we’re at,” — Aaron Judge

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• “It's an important part of his progression to get back with us,” — Aaron Boone, nor yankees manager

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• “ "It's more symptom-based now as he starts to introduce things," Boone said.” — Aaron Boone, nor yankees manager

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• “You’re running out of days. You’ve got 52 days left, 53 days left,” — Aaron Judge

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• “Aaron Judge update. He’s dealing with a stress fracture in his first rib. He’s finally been cleared for upper body resistance training, and outdoor running. That means, that over the past four months Aaron Judge hasn’t been able to run or resistance train. He hasn’t been able to throw. And most importantly, he hasn’t been able to swing a bat,” — Jesse Morse, from sports doctor

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• “Do I expect him to return this season? Hopefully yes,” — Jesse Morse, from sports doctor

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