Aaron Judge was cleared to begin some upper-body training and light running drills earlier this week, in the slugger’s first bit of increased on-field activity since he was placed on the injured list on June 2. Judge told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other reporters on Wednesday that the stress fracture in his right rib is still giving him a bit of discomfort as he gets back up to speed, saying, “you’re going to feel it, but it’s healing up.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the club will gradually ramp up Judge’s prep work as his rib gets closer to 100 percent. Despite these steps forward over the last few days, the bottom line is that the Yankees still don’t have a set timeline for Judge’s return to action. In an appearance today on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, New York GM Brian Cashman said “we need the whole engine firing on all cylinders. We don’t need [Judge] to blow a tire elsewhere because of the downtime and the lack of conditioning, et cetera. So he’s got to be properly tuned up so we can get the player we expect when he’s ready to go.”
While Judge, Boone, and Cashman all said Judge will certainly play again in 2026, a return before the end of August may be unlikely, given how the three-time MVP is still in the early stages of his rehab process. New York’s offense has scored only 226 runs in the 59 games since Judge last played, and only the club’s outstanding pitching has kept the Yankees on top in the AL wild card race.
More from the AL East…
- Garrett Crochet started throwing earlier this week, marking the first time Crochet has thrown since a lat strain shut down his previous throwing progression in June. In an interview with WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford on Wednesday, Crochet said he “felt really good” in the aftermath, but acknowledged that he may not have enough time to be fully built up for a return to the Red Sox rotation by season’s end (or into the playoffs). As such, Crochet is open to a bullpen role if necessary, as he is “looking forward to helping this team in any way I can. I’ve been on the sidelines for three months, and…it just makes me hungrier and hungrier to want to join and just contribute because these guys have stepped up and posted all year.” Crochet had a 6.30 ERA over six starts before shoulder inflammation sent him to the IL in late April, and the setback of the lat strain has made 2026 almost a lost year for Crochet after he was the AL Cy Young Award runner-up in 2025. Boston’s rotation has still been among the best in baseball even with Crochet out, so the idea of Crochet re-emerging as another weapon within the club’s strong bullpen would make the Sox pitching staff even scarier as they surge towards a postseason berth.
- Spencer Arrighetti made an early exit from his Triple-A rehab start on Thursday due to some continued discomfort in his right foot. Arrighetti was placed on the Astros’ 15-day IL due to nerve irritation in his right foot on July 25, though the issue didn’t prevent the Blue Jays from acquiring Arrighetti in a one-for-one swap for Daulton Varsho at the trade deadline. As Arrighetti explained to Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling (links to X), the foot issue only resurfaces as he pitches deeper into the game, as the right-hander felt good in throwing bullpen sessions. Arrighetti is able to keep throwing during this latest stage of the treatment process, which has included a cortisone shot and potentially a change in his mound footwear. While it looks like the setback may be relatively minor, it still isn’t clear exactly when Arrighetti might be ready to make his debut on Toronto’s active roster.
