The headline was exciting.
Aaron Judge was in the batter’s box against Max Fried on Tuesday night. The New York Yankees‘ slugger hasn’t played in months as he deals with a rib injury, but that’s progress, right?
Well, sort of.
The reality is that it was all a bit of an illusion, though.
The Missing Piece of Aaron Judge Video
The video was circulating of Judge hitting against Fried, who is back in MLB for the Yankees but still working to ramp up to full strength on the mound.
It had a cool backdrop, and it was two superstar players putting in the work:
Aaron Judge was seen facing Max Fried last night before the Angels faced the Yankees as the superstar inches closer to returning. pic.twitter.com/Mg4bGSjKi6
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) September 2, 2026
If you watch closely, though, you’ll notice a couple of things.
For one, Judge doesn’t swing. He appears to just be tracking pitches — a useful exercise, but less evidence of rib health.
There’s also no L-screen in front of Fried. Judge was never going to be taking swings here. They wouldn’t have Fried throw a bullpen like this with Judge actually hitting without putting a screen in front of Fried to help protect him from a screaming line drive back up the middle.
It certainly makes sense that Judge would want to see live pitching. When he returns, he’ll be thrown right into the thick of things, and this should only help his cause.
Still, he wasn’t swinging in this matchup. It isn’t immense proof of much of anything, at least on the Judge side of things.
Fried at least is getting in the work that should allow him to go deeper into games as September trends toward October.
Judge’s return, while it’s probably closer than it once was, is still a mystery that isn’t really solved by this at all.
Why Is Aaron Judge Still Out?
Judge remains out because he hasn’t fully healed from his injury.
He has a stress fracture in his right first rib, which he is believed to have sustained on a diving play in the outfield in late April.
Judge last played for the Yankees on June 2, which is three months ago as of Wednesday, Sept. 2.
Clearly, the ailment has continued to bother him. The Yankees would be a bit cautious with their superstar, but they’d also do what they can to get him back on the field.
The longer Judge is out, the more obvious it is that this was a particularly painful injury for a powerful baseball player. Everything in that midsection area, including the ribs, is heavily involved in hitting and throwing.
To get the necessary torque to generate his power, Judge needs to be able to move his hips and midsection freely. If he’s in pain with every movement, that’s harder to pull off.
There’s no telling exactly when Judge will be back, but it’s certainly been a long and painful absence for everyone in the Bronx who is a big fan of No. 99.
The Illusion of Aaron Judge’s Apparent Injury Progress for Yankees