The New York Yankees will be without their team captain and star outfielder Aaron Judge, who is listed as day-to-day due to a bone bruise affecting his upper right rib.
This marks Judge’s first absence from the lineup this season as the Yankees kick off their homestand Tuesday facing the Cleveland Guardians. Jose Caballero will take over duties in right field during Judge’s absence.
Manager Aaron Boone explained to reporters before the game that Judge had been experiencing persistent right shoulder discomfort for several weeks, prompting medical imaging. The tests revealed a bone bruise on his rib, which doctors determined was the source of the shoulder pain Judge had been experiencing.
The three-time American League MVP currently shares the team’s home run leadership with Ben Rice, both having hit 17 long balls this season. Judge’s 2024 statistics also include 10 doubles, 38 RBIs and five stolen bases, though he’s batting .248 across 59 games. This batting average represents his lowest performance since his rookie season in 2016, when he hit .179 over 27 games.
Judge brings an impressive resume to the Yankees, having earned All-Star recognition in each of the past five seasons and seven times throughout his career. Over his time with the team, he has maintained a .291 batting average while accumulating 385 home runs, 868 RBIs, 213 doubles and 70 stolen bases across 1,204 games.
