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The New York Yankees might be the best team in the American League in 2026.
First baseman Ben Rice has been one of the best hitters in baseball through the first third of the season. Gerrit Cole is finally back on a big league mound for the first time since 2024. Cam Schlitter has been outstanding, Cody Bellinger has been excellent in his second season in the Bronx.
But it’s no secret that the Yankees will only go as far as Aaron Judge takes them. The all-world superstar, early on in the season, looked like he might be on his way to another record-setting season. But he slumped, at least by his standards, in May, putting up “just” an .805 OPS.
On Thursday, we might have found out why.
NEW YORK YANKEES GET BAD NEWS ON AARON JUDGE’S MYSTERIOUS INJURY: ‘WE JUST WANT CLARITY’
Judge, for the first time this season, didn’t play in Tuesday’s game. And the Yankees weren’t exactly forthcoming as to why. On Wednesday, Aaron Boone admitted there was some uncertainty as to what exactly the problem was.
“He’s going back for some more imaging,” the Yankees manager told reporters after Wednesday’s game. “They just want to get some more specific spots, and so we’ll have more on that later.”
“We just want clarity on what we’re exactly dealing with,” he added. “Then we can set the course of action and kind of have an idea what the timeline is going to be.”
On Thursday, they got that clarity. And while it could have been worse for New York, it also could have been much better.
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The Yankees announced late Thursday evening that Judge had been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side. It’s expected to keep him out indefinitely, though he’ll be re-examined in around 4-6 weeks to see how he’s progressing. Not ideal.
But the silver lining for the Yankees organization and their fans is that “Judge is expected to return at some point this season,” per the team’s statement.
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New York has the advantage of playing in a weak American League, all but guaranteeing a postseason spot. Even without Judge for much of the rest of the season. But the surprising Tampa Bay Rays are holding on to first in the AL East, and losing out on the division could jeopardize a potential first round bye. And of course, if he doesn’t heal as hoped, this could turn into a season-ending injury.
Still, if Judge recovers and returns before October, he immediately makes the Yankees a legitimate World Series threat. Even while hurt, he remained one of baseball’s most dangerous hitters. At full strength, he’s a game-changing force.
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