There might be only a handful of players in baseball whose absence can change the course of a trade deadline, but Aaron Judge is definitely one of them. The New York Yankees’ captain has been on the shelf since June 1 due to a stress fracture in his first rib, and the void in the Bronx Bombers’ lineup has really been felt.
For almost two months now, Judge and the Yankees have been playing the waiting game as his body heals from the stress fracture that he believes he suffered in April. And while it has been a slow process, after seeing multiple doctors and getting multiple scans, Judge appears to be moving forward.
“There’s some progress, some healing going on, but it’s not fully healed,” he told reporters on July 17. “We’re still waiting on one more doctor to take a look at it and see how we progress forward the next couple of weeks, but it’s definitely a positive sign that we’re seeing some healing.
“There were a couple of weeks that were tough, and I really couldn’t do a lot,” he continued, “but now I’m feeling 10 times better. That was my big complaint. If I’m feeling better, how about we start moving? But I think they just don’t want to start adding baseball activities, and all of a sudden, we have a setback that pushes everything back.”
While the good news is that Judge’s injury is healing, the bad news is that this is not an injury that heals quickly; this one takes time. As we approach the month of August, the three-time MVP has not yet been cleared to do upper-body activities, let alone baseball activities. What’s more, after a more than two-month layoff, any player, including Judge, will need time to not only get back in baseball shape but also get his timing back with some type of rehab assignment.
As a result, the Yankees might be running out of time to wait for Judge’s return. While New York has always believed that Judge would be back this season, there’s no guarantee of that happening. Given the time he’ll need to get back to full-strength and the reality that there are only two months left in the season, there’s just not a lot of runway left for Judge to make a return — not to mention everything that still needs to go perfectly in his healing.
With two months left in the season, there’s not a lot of runway for Aaron Judge to make a return to the Yankees at full strength.
(Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)
Where does this leave the Yankees 10 days out from the trade deadline?
Simply put, the Yankees are a different team without Judge. Since the captain has been out of the lineup, New York’s run production has taken a huge hit, ranking 26th in MLB in runs scored and 27th in OPS. Making matters worse, Giancarlo Stanton has had a hard time returning from his calf strain after suffering a setback and has just begun a running progression. Even with Ben Rice having an MVP-caliber season, relying solely on him for offensive production isn’t a sustainable plan for the Yankees.
As the deadline nears, New York needs to be aggressive to compensate for Judge’s absence. The lineup could use an upgrade in multiple spots, including catcher, third base, shortstop and even the outfield. It will be on general manager Brain Cashman to decide what additions are the right fit while balancing hope for Judge’s eventual return.
Teams on seller watch as trade deadline approaches
The trade market has been slow to materialize this summer, with so many teams within a realistic distance of a wild-card spot. But there are several teams that could be one bad series away from being forced to make a tough decision. That list includes the Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds.
Toronto and San Diego have been two of the bigger disappointments in baseball this season. The Blue Jays were one bad inning away from winning the World Series last fall, yet things have been completely different for this team in 2026. And with a market desperate for quality starting pitching, moving an arm such as Kevin Gausman might be a necessity for Toronto. Entering play Friday, the Blue Jays are last in the AL East and six games back of the third AL wild card.
San Diego, meanwhile, just hasn’t been able to get things going and is currently 15 games back in the NL West and four games out of the wild-card picture. And while the Padres’ offense has started to come around over the past few weeks, you have to wonder if it’s too little, too late.
President of baseball operations AJ Preller has never been one to wave the white flag, but this might be the year we see him change tactics. Sources tell Yahoo Sports that closer Mason Miller has been made available, but acquiring him would take a significant haul. Miller, arguably the best closer in the sport, has three years of club control remaining after this season.
Will Preller swing another of his signature blockbusters, this time as the seller, before Aug. 3?
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