Yankees Receive Positive Update Regarding 3x MVP Aaron Judge Amid Progress From Rib Injury

New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge has been out of action since early June following a rib fracture.

Yankees Receive Positive Update Regarding 3x MVP Aaron Judge Amid Progress From Rib Injury

Aaron Judge (Image via X/@TalkinYanks)

It has now been more than 2-and-a-half months since Aaron Judge last played in an MLB game. The New York Yankees captain has been out of action since June following a rib injury. On Tuesday, the team received a positive update regarding him.

The 3-time MLB MVP suffered a blow to his rib during a game in late April. After playing through the pain in May, this injury flared up during the series against the Athletics in Sacramento.

It was then revealed that Judge had suffered a rib fracture and would be out for a while. He was placed on the 60-day injured list and has not played since that series against the A’s in May.

A couple of weeks back, Judge gave some assurance regarding his health. There had been some rumors that he was done for the year following this injury. He squashed these talks, claiming he would return sometime late this season.

A few days back, there were some positive developments regarding Judge. He was reported to have played catch for the first time since being diagnosed with this injury.

On Tuesday before their game against the Baltimore Orioles, manager Aaron Boone spoke regarding him. The Yankees skipper revealed that Judge will get introduced to his hitting progression this week.

He gets introduced to his hitting progression this week. He was in the pool last couple of days, doing swing related stuff, playing catch, doing his running. So he’s progressing.

Aaron Boone told the reporters regarding Aaron Judge

Judge is one of the 3 top offensive stars the team is missing. Apart from him, the Yankees are also anticipating the return of Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton.

Bellinger suffered a hamstring strain in July during the series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Meanwhile, Stanton had been out since late April due to a right calf issue. Last week, he was seen running around the bases in a practice session.

RELATED
Julio Rodriguez’s Mental Lapse Adds to Mariners’ Misery in 22-0 Rout by Brewers

Aaron Judge’s absence has had a huge effect on the Yankees’ offense

Aaron Judge‘s injury was always going to be a major blow to the New York Yankees. His absence from the batting lineup has had a huge effect on the offense of the Bronx Bombers.

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

Judge was slashing .248/.375/.533 in 59 games with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs. While he had a 11-game home run drought, he was still seen as one of the top candidates for the American League MVP Award.

In the first few games after Judge’s injury, the other stars in the lineup did show up. Some valuable contributions from stars Jazz Chisholm Jr., Paul Goldschmidt, and Cody Bellinger helped them win 9 of their first 12 games without their captain.

However, in the long run, the Yankees have been in an offensive slump without him. From June 1 till Tuesday, the AL East side ranked 30th across the league in batting average at .217. Their .666 OPS and 246 runs scored had them ranked 28th.

Judge’s return to the team will give them the much-needed boost in their offense. They are currently in a mixed run of form.

Last week, the Yankees failed to sweep a struggling Seattle Mariners side. They then dropped back-to-back games against the Toronto Blue Jays before avoiding a series sweep with a 4-3 extra-innings win on Sunday.

In the series opener against the Baltimore Orioles, the New York-based team won 3-1. This win improved their season record to 70-55 and kept them 5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, who lead the AL East with a 75-50 record.

Following this series against the O’s, the Yankees will have a 10-game homestand featuring a 3-game series against the Blue Jays, the Houston Astros, and a 4-game showdown against the Boston Red Sox.

Also Read: