Aaron Judge out with stress fracture in rib on his right side
ESPN • • general
Key Points:
- New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was diagnosed with a stress fracture in the first rib on his right side and is expected to return this season, though he will miss significant time for recovery and re-imaging in 4-6 weeks.
- Judge had been experiencing discomfort for weeks, initially described as a bone bruise, and missed three games while undergoing multiple tests including MRI, CT scan, and X-rays.
- The injury caused a notable decline in Judge's performance, batting just .180 with one home run in 16 games after May 12, compared to his earlier .275 average with 16 homers.
- Judge's injury is less severe than a feared thoracic outlet syndrome diagnosis, which could have ended his season; he previously dealt with a stress fracture and partially collapsed lung in 2020.
- The Yankees have used several players to fill Judge’s right field spot, including José Caballero and Max Schuemann, while Giancarlo Stanton remains sidelined due to a calf strain.