NEW YORK — The New York Yankees have officially placed star outfielder Aaron Judge on the 10-day injured list following Friday’s announcement that the slugger is dealing with a stress fracture in one of his ribs, an injury that will sideline him for an indefinite period.
The three-time AL MVP will undergo a period of rest with limited physical activity before doctors re-evaluate his condition and conduct additional imaging studies in approximately four to six weeks. According to a Yankees statement, Judge is anticipated to return “at some point this season.”
To fill Judge’s roster spot, the team has brought back Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre for his second call-up with the club.
During his previous stint from May 8-21, Jones posted a .167 batting average, going 4 for 24 after being summoned to fill in for Jasson Domínguez, who suffered an AC joint injury in his shoulder after colliding with the left-field wall while making a catch against Brandon Nimmo during a May 7 matchup with Texas.
Judge received a CT scan on Thursday and had undergone an MRI earlier in the week during a consultation with a medical specialist. The Yankees initially described Judge’s condition as shoulder discomfort before correcting the diagnosis to reveal the rib injury on his right side, which was first discovered during testing conducted on Monday during the team’s scheduled day off.
This marks Judge’s 10th trip to the injured list since making his major league debut on Aug. 13, 2016, including a previous placement on the COVID-19 injured list in July 2021. His injury history includes missing 45 games due to a fractured right wrist in 2018, sitting out 54 games with a strained left oblique in 2019, and being sidelined for 42 games with a fractured toe in 2023 after colliding with a wall while making a defensive play at Dodger Stadium.
This represents Judge’s second career rib injury.
He previously received a diagnosis of a stress fracture in one of his right ribs in March 2020. That injury resulted from diving for a ball in September 2019, though Judge avoided missing game time due to the pandemic-related delay of the 2020 season.
The 34-year-old is currently batting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs this season. However, he has managed just one home run over his last 18 games since May 10 and snapped an 11-game streak without a homer or RBI with a walk-off, two-run blast on May 24 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Prior to the Tampa Bay game, Judge was mired in a 1-for-24 slump that had dropped his batting average to .246. He had gone hitless in 15 consecutive at-bats before recording a single in the first inning of that contest.
Last season, Judge captured the batting title with a career-best .331 average along with 53 home runs and 114 RBIs across 152 games. He was absent for 10 games from July 26-Aug. 4 due to a flexor strain in his right elbow sustained while making a throw to home plate on July 22 in Toronto. He received a plasma-rich injection and avoided the need for offseason surgery.
When Judge was injured last season, Giancarlo Stanton appeared in 17 outfield games. Stanton has been unavailable since April 24 with a strained right calf and began taking live batting practice on the field Wednesday, though he has been ruled out for New York’s upcoming road series.
José Caballero has started the first two games against Cleveland and has made four starts in right field since his acquisition from Tampa Bay at the July 31 trade deadline. Max Schuemann made his first career start in right field Thursday, recording a diving catch on Steven Kwan in the second inning and a leaping catch on Brayan Rocchio in the seventh.
Judge had started 52 games in right field this season. Jones made four starts in right field before being optioned on May 22, while Cody Bellinger has started two games at the position.
