Aaron Judge out with rib fracture, should Yankees panic?

The New York Yankees have their work cut out for them now that three-time MVP Aaron Judge is out indefinitely. A right rib stress fracture is what was initially thought to be a bone bruise. And then thoracic outlet syndrome.

The upside, if we can even call it that, is the Yankees expect Judge to return this season. He’ll have more imaging done in four to six weeks, and then the Yankees will go from there. That would peg his return probably around August, optimistically.

Now, before we get into the nitty gritty, let’s answer the question: Yes, the Yankees should panic at least a little bit. Aaron Judge, when healthy, is the best hitter in baseball. Bar none. Between power and overall hit tool, the man is on when he is on. His generally average performance this season—batting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBI despite a 150 wRC+—suddenly makes sense. Given that the stress fracture has been nagging at him for weeks, his mechanics had to be affected at least a little bit.

However, while the Yankees should panic, they shouldn’t heavily panic. Yes, Buster Olney pointed out that since 2020, the team is eight games under .500 sans Judge. Again, he’s just that great of a player. Imagine the Cleveland Guardians, who just took two of three in a Bronx tilt Judge sat out, losing Jose Ramirez for an extended period of time. He is the motor of that lineup, the only reliable power bat, and Cleveland would not even be close to first in the AL Central without him.

The Yankees, on the other hand, are in a better position. First, they have a ton of talent in the lineup aside from Judge. Cody Bellinger is a former MVP. Ben Rice has taken a giant step forward and is shaping up as one of the more dominant hitters in baseball. Trent Grisham is slowly turning things around along with Jazz Chisholm Jr., who can thank an assist from Giancarlo Stanton’s pants. The All-Star second baseman is batting .238 on the season, but .328 since May 13.

Even 38-year-old Paul Goldschmidt, re-signed to be a platoon bat, is batting .276 with a 148 wRC+.

It’s also worth noting that the Yankees have reinforcements on the way. Switch-hitting Jasson Dominguez starts a rehab assignment this weekend and looked a little more confident at the plate before injuring his shoulder last month. Giancarlo Stanton, another former MVP, is making progress, but will stay in New York for an upcoming road trip.

And given all of that, the Yankees are actually still in pretty good shape! Consider the state of the American League. Cleveland is first in the AL Central, but not even ten games over .500. The division is weak, with the suddenly upstart Chicago White Sox (four games over .500) only two games back.

Similarly, the AL West is fast-tracking towards possibly crowning a team below .500. First-place Seattle is 33-30, with the Athletics and Rangers each tied for second at 30-32. Now add that the Yankees only trail the Tampa Bay Rays by a half-game in the AL East. AND they hold a 7.5 game lead over both Toronto and Baltimore.

And speaking of Toronto, guess what? They’re the Yankees toughest opponent in June, and by a wide margin. The Blue Jays, despite being the defending American League champions, have struggled with injuries all season. The only other playoff team the Yankees face this month is the Detroit Tigers, and they’re well below .500 with Tarik Skubal injured.

Not having Aaron Judge in the lineup is going to suck. Losing a bat like his would mean, to paraphrase Chris Kirschner at The Athletic, “a death sentence” for most other teams. Just because the American League is weak in 2026 doesn’t mean the Yankees can coast without Aaron Judge, especially with Stanton still out of the lineup. Remember, Judge’s fellow big righty still rakes when healthy, especially against lefties.

In the meantime, Jack Curry of the YES Network reports that the Yankees will recall outfield prospect Spencer Jones to fill Judge’s spot on the roster. He underwhelmed and hit .167 with a pair of RBIs and 12 strikeouts in 27 plate appearances. However, he’s continued to hit well at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre since being sent back. Maybe he’s better prepared for his second cup of coffee in the majors? We’ll soon find out.

This isn’t the first time the Yankees have had to play with Aaron Judge on the injured list. It is, however, the first time they’re prepared to compete without him.