The New York Yankees announced a couple of transactions before their game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The club has signed right-hander Bradley Hanner to a major league deal and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. To make room, All-Star right fielder Aaron Judge has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees have transferred OF Aaron Judge to the 60-day injured list.
Judge, 34, has been on the injured list since June 5. His IL stint is backdated to June 2, meaning he can’t return until August 1 at the earliest. He’s dealing with a stress fracture in his right ribcage.
Yankees Move Aaron Judge to 60-Day IL After Re-Examination
The move is merely procedural in order to free up a 40-man roster spot for Hanner. It does not necessarily mean that Judge experienced a setback in his recovery from the injury.
The three-time MVP winner was re-examined during the All-Star break. The latest update from the Yankees is that he’s not ready to resume baseball activities just yet.
Judge’s return to the lineup is still up in the air. MLB insider Jon Heyman speculated on a potential return date, citing a similar injury situation in the past. In Judge’s absence, the Yankees have fallen to second place in the American League East.
While his season has not been up to his past standards, he was still producing a .248/.375/.533 slash with 17 home runs. That production is still 50% better than the league-average hitter, after adjusting for park and league factors, with a 150 wRC+.
For the Yankees to make a deep postseason run, they’ll need Judge to be healthy and shake off the rust by the end of the season.
Yankees Announce Aaron Judge Roster Move During Dodgers Series