06/04/26 09:56:00
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06/04 21:55 CDT Yankees star Aaron Judge sidelined indefinitely with a rib
stress fracture
Yankees star Aaron Judge sidelined indefinitely with a rib stress fracture
By LARRY FLEISHER
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) --- New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge will be sidelined
indefinitely with a stress fracture of one of his ribs, the team announced
Thursday night.
The three-time AL MVP was out of the lineup earlier in the day for a third
straight game and the Yankees were awaiting clarity about what they said was a
bone bruise in one of the slugger's right ribs that is causing right shoulder
pain.
The team later announced Judge was diagnosed with the stress fracture of the
first rib on his right side and will need to rest and have limited activity.
He'll be re-evaluated after having additional imaging in about four to six
weeks. The Yankees said in a statement that Judge is expected to return "at
some point this season."
After avoiding a three-game sweep with a 2-1 victory over Cleveland on
Thursday, manager Aaron Boone said the team was awaiting the findings of Dr.
Gregory Pearl, a vascular surgery specialist in Dallas.
"Look, it's a lot of smart people in a specialized area and (the) guy's several
states aways," Boone said. "We just got to be patient."
Judge underwent a CT scan on Thursday morning and had an MRI earlier in the
week when he met with a specialist. The bruise was first revealed when Judge
underwent testing on the team's off day on Monday.
"I'm obviously not a doctor, I don't know how it all works, but there's a lot
of people involved in trying to make sure we get the right diagnosis," Boone
said Thursday morning.
Judge was diagnosed with a stress fracture in one of his right ribs in March
2020. The injury occurred when he dived for a ball in September 2019, but Judge
didn't miss any time because of the 2020 season being delayed by the pandemic.
He is hitting .248 with 17 homers and 38 RBIs. But he has just one homer in his
last 18 games since May 10 and ended an 11-game homer and RBI drought with a
game-ending, two-run drive on May 24 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Judge entered the game against Tampa Bay in a 1-for-24 slump that dropped his
batting average to .246. He was hitless in 15 at-bats before singling in the
first inning.
Judge won the batting title last season when he hit a career-high .331 with 53
homers and 114 RBIs in 152 games. He missed 10 games from July 26-Aug. 4 with a
flexor strain in his right elbow that he sustained on a throw to home July 22
in Toronto. He underwent a plasma-rich injection and did not require offseason
surgery.
When Judge was hurt last season, Giancarlo Stanton played 17 games in the
outfield. Stanton has been out since April 24 with a strained right calf and
started taking live at-bats on the field Wednesday, though he was ruled out for
New York's upcoming road trip.
Jos Caballero started the first two games against Cleveland and has made four
starts in right field since being acquired from Tampa Bay at the July 31 trade
deadline. Max Schuemann made his first career start in right field Thursday and
made a diving catch on Steven Kwan in the second along with a leaping catch on
Brayan Rocchio in the seventh.
Judge had started 52 of New York's first 59 games in right field. Rookie
Spencer Jones made four starts in right field before getting sent down May 22
and Cody Bellinger has started two games.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
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