Aaron Judge (rib) underwent followup imaging earlier this week that revealed continued healing, but he wasn’t cleared to resume baseball activities.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone reiterated on Friday that he believes Judge will return this season, but he remains without a definitive return timetable. The 34-year-old franchise icon told reporters that it’ll be a couple weeks before he undergoes re-imaging to determine his next steps. He remains limited to lower-body work and neck exercises, with no upper-body or overhead lifting at this juncture. He’s been on the shelf with a rib fracture since early June. It’s pure speculation at this point, but even in a best-case scenario, Judge appears unlikely to return before the middle or end of August. There’s also a realistic chance his absence stretches into September. Fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him back anytime soon.
