The New York Yankees are widely expected to make several impactful moves before the MLB trade deadline. Or at least they are expected to make an attempt.
The Yankees need an upgrade at catcher. They need bullpen help. They could also use another bat given all of the injuries that have befallen their lineup.
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But will it really matter much if Aaron Judge can’t return this season?
Judge has been sidelined for nearly two months as a result of a rib stress fracture. He went for imaging at the All-Star break, and while the scans revealed healing, he still clearly wasn’t close to being able to resume baseball activities.
The three-time American League MVP was supposed to see another doctor for more scans, but now, the Yankees don’t seem to know when that will happen.
Prior to New York’s matchup against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night, manager Aaron Boone revealed that the Yankees have not yet determined when Judge will be re-examined, which absolutely puts his season in peril.
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When Judge first went down, the hopeful expectation was that he would return some time in August. In fairness, that was media and fan speculation more than anything else. New York never gave any sort of timetable for its superstar.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
Then, after Judge’s All-Star break imaging demonstrated that he was still a long way away from returning, a September comeback was viewed as the more likely possibility.
But now that Judge is still evidently not ready for another examination (and the Yanks don’t know when he will be), where does that put the outfielder?
Is it possible that Judge could miss the rest of the year?
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Given the uncertainty surrounding the 34-year-old, it would not be shocking if the Yankees took more of a lax approach at the deadline. Why would New York go all in if it isn’t even sure if Judge will be back on the field in 2026?
Maybe the Yankees know more about Judge than they are exposing to the public. Maybe they don’t. Maybe they genuinely don’t know when — or if — their captain will return.
But there is no doubt that Judge’s status means absolutely everything for New York’s plans between now and next Monday.
Because if Judge’s return is up in the air, that completely rules out a run at Tarik Skubal … or pretty much any other player in the final year of his contract.
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Could the Yankees pursue players under club control for multiple seasons? Sure. That is both a present and future move. But they aren’t going to blow a bunch of assets on a rental if they don’t even know if Judge is coming back.
This is the last thing New York fans wanted to hear with the trade deadline just days away, but such is the harsh reality of the Yankees’ current situation.