New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge has officially taken the first step toward his return to the field. Following a scan of his fractured right rib on Tuesday, doctors cleared the outfielder for light physical activity, a milestone that prompted him to immediately begin running. Judge told reporters before Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals that he wasted no time starting his rehab once he received the news.
Manager Aaron Boone confirmed that the medical clearance includes outdoor running and upper-body resistance work. This development marks the first tangible progress in Judge's recovery process, which had shown no visible improvement for more than two months. While this is a significant forward step, there remains no set target date for his return to game action, as he is still prohibited from swinging a bat or throwing, activities that would place undue stress on his rib.
Judge acknowledged the urgency of his situation, noting that with roughly 52 or 53 days left in the season, time is becoming a factor. Despite the pressure, he expressed confidence in his eventual return, stating that he never considered the possibility of missing the remainder of the year. The clearance for upper-body work is particularly vital, as general manager Brian Cashman previously noted that any such activity was off-limits due to the risk of stressing the fracture.
Judge has been sidelined since May 31. He believes the injury originated from a diving catch in Houston on April 26, an incident he played through for a month before his performance began to decline. He has navigated a similar injury before, having dealt with a stress fracture in the same rib after a diving catch in 2019, which he played through during the postseason. Prior to his current stint on the injured list, the reigning American League MVP was hitting .248 with a .375 on-base percentage, a .533 slugging percentage, and 17 home runs across 59 games, earning him a spot on his eighth All-Star team.
The Yankees are currently managing multiple health setbacks, with Cody Bellinger out due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain and Giancarlo Stanton sidelined with a right calf strain. While the team has relied heavily on its pitching to remain competitive, their offensive production has dipped significantly, dropping from an average of 5.27 runs per game before Judge's injury to 3.98 runs since. Entering Wednesday’s contest, the Yankees held a 63-50 record, placing them 3.5 games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East while maintaining a hold on the top wild-card position.
"You are running out of days," he said. "You've got 52 days, 53 days left. We've got to get back out there."
"I'll be back this season. I don't know why I wouldn't be. That was always the plan," Judge said. "I never had a thought of not playing this year."
