‘Disappointed’ Aaron Judge Reveals Playing Through Pain in May Following Rib Fracture

Aaron Judge will be out for approximately 4-6 weeks following a rib fracture.

‘Disappointed’ Aaron Judge Reveals Playing Through Pain in May Following Rib Fracture

Aaron Judge (Image via X/@SleeperYankees)

Aaron Judge will be out of action for a while. On Thursday, he was diagnosed with a rib fracture following additional tests and was sidelined for approximately 4-6 weeks. While speaking about this setback, the New York Yankees captain admitted that he was disappointed and that he was playing through pain in May.

On Tuesday, Judge missed his first game of the 2026 season due to some pain in his shoulder. The Yankees’ medical team diagnosed him with a bone bruise near his right rib.

The team would then seek more clarity regarding his injury. An MRI scan revealed Judge to have a rib fracture.

Judge’s absence is a huge blow to the Yankees. The reigning American League MVP has spearheaded the offense of the team in the past couple of years. Without him, the team has struggled to put up runs on the scoreboard.

The 34-year-old was struggling with the bat in May. He went on an 11-game home run drought and even had a 0-for-15 skid. He broke through this with a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays. Eventually, he finished the month with 1 home run, 8 RBIs, and 19 strikeouts.

While speaking with the reporters at the Yankees Clubhouse, Judge expressed that he got injured while diving for a catch against the Houston Astros in late April.

Judge also crashed into the wall at Yankee Stadium on May 3 while making a catch against the Baltimore Orioles. The issue regarding him got worse during the series against the Athletics last weekend in Sacramento.

I’m very disappointed. … I was feeling the symptoms the past month, and we kind of did everything we could to make sure we could be out there. In Sacramento, it just got a little worse. I fought as long as I could.

Aaron Judge told the reporters as per MLB.com

At the moment, Judge is expected to be out for 4-6 weeks before undergoing more tests and figuring out what the next steps will be. The Yankees do expect him to return later this season. However, he did not put any timeline on his return.

I don’t like talking timetables. That stuff’s all made up. You never know what’s going to happen.

Aaron Judge said as per Brendan Kuty

June has been a month that has brought troubles for the Yankees. Last year, the team suffered a huge slump in form in this month and went 13-14 after going 17-9 in May. This year, they have lost their captain and leader Judge through injury.

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Aaron Judge reveals why he kept on playing despite injury

Aaron Judge knew he was having some troubles with his body at the start of May. Despite this, he kept on playing instead of taking a break and getting treated. On Friday, he revealed the reason why.

Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge (Image via X/@BaseballQuotes1)

Before Judge developed some problems, the Yankees lost Giancarlo Stanton. He suffered a right calf injury and was placed on the injured list in late April.

In May, the team lost starter Max Fried. He was diagnosed with a bone bruise in his left elbow and exited from his start against the Orioles on May 13. The next day, he was placed on the 15-day injured list.

With these two stars out of the team, Judge took it upon himself to lead the charge. However, this selfless act from him has now cost him a trip to the injured list.

Big G’s (Giancarlo Stanton) hurt, Max Fried’s hurt. We had a lot of guys banged up. You’ve got to be out there. That’s what they’re paying me to do, to go out there and play.

Aaron Judge told the reporters on Friday afternoon

On Friday, the Yankees lost 5-3 against their rivals, the Boston Red Sox. In Judge’s absence this year, the team is 1-3 with a series loss against the Cleveland Guardians. Following this weekend series against the Red Sox, the Bronx Bombers will once again take on the Guardians in a 3-game set.

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