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Judge Targets September Return After Rib Stress Fracture

8/28/2026

47 10 Full Breakdown

Summary

Judge Recovery

Aaron Judge is recovering from a rib stress fracture and aims to return in September.
He is rebuilding volume with indoor cage work after three months on the injured list.
Judge hopes to skip a minor-league rehab assignment, preferring cage reps and occasional outfield drills.
He has missed every game since May 31, totaling 74, while the Yankees sit at 39-34.
He last batted .248 with 17 homers and 38 RBIs.

Summary

Yankees Adjust

Yankees have ranked 28th in runs, 30th in batting average, 28th in OPS, and 29th in wRC+ since June 1.
The team scored 24 runs in its last three games, showing a slight offensive uptick.
Yankees added designated hitters Luis García Jr. and Ben Rice to the lineup while Judge is absent.
Manager Aaron Boone will limit Judge’s diving plays, using him mainly as a right fielder.

History

Historical Context

In April 2004 Alex Rodriguez broke his right wrist, missing 56 games and weakening the Yankees’ offense. The pattern repeated in 2024 when Aaron Judge’s rib fracture on May 31 forced the club to rely on bench players like Luis García Jr. Yankees have long turned to depth after injuries, as shown when first-baseman Mark Teixeira played only 15 games in 2013 after wrist surgery.

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Judge Recovery

Aaron Judge is recovering from a rib stress fracture and aims to return in September.
He is rebuilding volume with indoor cage work after three months on the injured list.
Judge hopes to skip a minor-league rehab assignment, preferring cage reps and occasional outfield drills.
He has missed every game since May 31, totaling 74, while the Yankees sit at 39-34.
He last batted .248 with 17 homers and 38 RBIs.

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