The New York Yankees are coming off a 2-1 series loss to the Cleveland Guardians.
Their series finale took place on Thursday and ended things on a high note with a tight 2-1 victory, despite the absence of slugger Aaron Judge.
Fortunately, he is expected to return this season, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
Yankees Provide Update on Aaron Judge
GettyAaron Judge of the New York Yankees has a new injury timeline
As reported by Hoch, the 34-year-old slugger has officially been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the first rib on the right side of his body.
In four to six weeks, he is expected to be evaluated again to assess his level of healing.
From there, his medical team will determine the next steps.
Considering the previous possibility of him having thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), this is better news, although still incredibly disappointing.
Yankees Without Judge
GettyAaron Judge of the New York Yankees will be sidelined for a significant amount of time
As an 11-year veteran of the famed New York franchise, it’s no surprise that the ballclub has been rather frantic without its star hitter.
Before his injury took over, Judge was slashing .248/.375/.533 with a .908 OPS and 17 homers through 59 games.
This is already a drop from his 2025 campaign stat sheet, in which he finished with a glowing slash line of .331/.457/.688 with a stunning 1.145 OPS and 113 home runs through 152 games.
Judge is known for his imposing approach at the plate, and his raw power has made him an intimidating batter for pitchers to face.
The Yankees are managing to hold their own without Judge, as evidenced by their latest victory over the Guardians. However, it has not been a smooth-sailing ride thus far.
Judge has now missed three consecutive games, and he will be sidelined for a significant amount of time.
Momentum Must Increase for Upcoming Red Sox Series
GettyAaron Judge of the New York Yankees will be sidelined for a significant amount of time
The highly anticipated Yankees-Red Sox series will commence on Friday, June 5, at 7:05 p.m. ET.
This will be a homestand series for the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, giving them a slight edge over Boston.
Having said that, New York is already far ahead of the Red Sox in the American League East. The Yankees are 37-25 overall, placing them second, and Boston is at the bottom of the totem pole in the division.
The Red Sox are riding an underwhelming 26-35 overall record.
At face value, it seems as though the Yankees should be able to clinch a clean sweep of the three-game set this weekend. But not having Judge in the lineup will continue to be a massive blow to the organization.
Now is the time for the largely overshadowed players on the roster to take center stage and prove their value — prove they can pull their own weight without relying on Judge to reel in runs.
While Judge uses this time to rest and recover, his fellow Yankees can use this as a rare opportunity to step up and heat their bats.
Yankees Reveal New Aaron Judge Status Before Red Sox Series