Aaron Judge was officially placed on the 60-day injured list Saturday, a move primarily designed to free up a spot on the 40-man roster. This procedural step underscores the extended absence of the New York Yankees captain, who has been sidelined since late May with a fractured right rib.
Despite undergoing further testing that indicated some healing, Judge has not yet been cleared to resume baseball activities. Manager Aaron Boone stated that Dr. Gregory Pearl, the specialist who diagnosed the injury, has advised that Judge must be asymptomatic before he can begin upper-body workouts. While the pain has reportedly shifted from sharp to a more dull sensation, there is no clear timeline for his return, with Boone suggesting it could be weeks after he is medically cleared before he rejoins the lineup. A potential return in September is possible, but there is no guarantee he will be at full strength.
This ongoing situation continues to cast doubt on the Yankees' lineup and overall performance. Since Judge’s injury on May 31, the team has posted an 18-20 record, a stark contrast to their 36-23 start to the season. This slump is reminiscent of the 2023 season, when Judge's absence due to a torn toe ligament contributed to the Yankees missing the playoffs. Boone has noted that the current roster possesses more depth than in previous years and that, despite a difficult stretch of losing nine of ten games from late June to early July, the team has largely played well.
However, cracks have become apparent in the team's performance. In the first game back from the All-Star break, the Yankees managed only one run in a loss to the Dodgers. In Judge's absence, Trent Grisham has provided solid production with an .894 OPS, the highest on the team during this stretch. However, Grisham himself has been hampered by a strained right hamstring, impacting his mobility as seen when he was thrown out at home trying to score on a double. Ben Rice has maintained an .864 OPS without Judge, although he has not replicated the MVP-level production seen when Judge was in the lineup. Paul Goldschmidt's production has dipped slightly to a .758 OPS, partly due to him playing more than anticipated with both Judge and Giancarlo Stanton out. Jasson Domínguez has shown flashes of threat despite not securing an everyday role.
The performance of other key players has also been affected. All-Star Cody Bellinger, who had an .855 OPS before Judge's injury, has seen his OPS drop to .622 in Judge's absence. After an initial strong showing following Judge's injury, Bellinger's offensive numbers have declined significantly since mid-June, with a recent 16-for-90 stretch before a slight uptick in his last five games. Jazz Chisholm Jr. also experienced a drop in production, posting a .554 OPS since June 19, after initially holding steady for nearly three weeks post-Judge injury. José Caballero's OPS has fallen to .553 over the same period from an .735 mark on June 19. At third base, while Ryan McMahon has shown improvement since early June, Amed Rosario's production has fallen from an .843 OPS pre-injury to .590 after. Austin Wells has struggled significantly, with his OPS dropping to .326 since Judge's injury, significantly lower than other players with comparable plate appearances.