ESPN | Jorge Castillo and David Schoenfield: In light of Aaron Judge’s rib fracture, the whole baseball world is now wondering what the captain’s absence will mean for the Yankees. Most immediately, it presses Spencer Jones into duty, but it will also open up ample opportunity for Jasson Domínguez and Giancarlo Stanton once healthy. It places the spotlight on Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham, two talented players who have had uneven seasons thus far. And it also influences their trade deadline plans, though don’t expect the team to rush out and try to find an outfield replacement, especially considering Judge is likely to return at some time in the second half.
MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: The Yankees made a surprising move after last night’s loss to the Red Sox, optioning backup catcher J.C. Escarra and calling up Ali Sánchez from Triple-A. Signed to a minor-league deal prior to the start of 2026, Sánchez has a .702 OPS for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2026, and has struggled in limited time in the majors, posting a .454 OPS in 50 games for five different teams this decade. That being said, the Yankees have been interested in getting a righty-hitting option at catcher, and the lefty/lefty tandem of Escarra and Austin Wells has been downright anemic in 2026. So even though Sánchez doesn’t have much of a track record either … well, why not roll the dice in the short term? They’ll be browsing the trade options regardless. Sánchez could be in the lineup tonight with the lefty Ranger Suarez ready to go for Boston.
MLB.com | Max Ralph: Judge’s injury primarily affects the Yankees, obviously, but it also sends shockwaves throughout the league. Ralph looks at some of the ways Judge’s absence will affect the whole baseball landscape, from the ways it could affect the trade deadline, to how the AL MVP race is now wide open, and will presumably have a winner that isn’t Judge or Shohei Ohtani for the first time since 2020.
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner*: After days of speculation, Judge’s prolong absence is a reality. The question now is: do the Yankees have what it takes to withstand it? As devastating as Judge’s injury is, there is reason to believe the club is better equipped to weather the storm than they were, say, in 2023, when Judge missed a total of 56, with the Yankees putting up a 25-31 record in those games. Now, they have two other MVP candidates in Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger, not to mention bats like Stanton and Domínguez on the mend. That said, the Yankees will need some of the hitters towards the bottom of the order to step up; Jazz Chisholm Jr., Austin Wells, and Ryan McMahon can’t be zeroes all at once if the Yankees want to stay towards the top of the AL.
*We shared this article yesterday as well, but it’s a good assessment and worth a re-up in case you missed it yesterday.
FanGraphs | Michael Baumann: The Yankees signed Gerrit Cole to a nine-year, $324-million contract in December of 2019, likely committing him to the Yankees until he turned 38-years-old. When a contract like that gets inked, the end of the term feels infinitely far in the future; at the moment Cole and the Yankees put pen to paper, a contract running through 2028 seemed like it might as well run until the end of time. But Baumann notes that for Cole, and a whole lot of other stars who signed mega deals, we are closer to the end than it may seem. Cole is tethered to the Yankees for just 2.5 more seasons, Giancarlo Stanton’s 13-year contract expires next year, and even Bryce Harper’s 13-year deal, which runs from 2019 through 2031, is on the back nine.
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