Overview
- Judge was left out of the Yankees' lineup on Tuesday after the team identified a bone bruise in his right ribcage and scheduled specialist evaluation for follow-up tests.
- Manager Aaron Boone moved from calling Judge day-to-day to arranging the specialist visit after noticing altered swings in recent games, and the team has not yet set a return timeline.
- It remains unclear when the rib bruise occurred, with reporting pointing to a possible earlier collision with the wall in May but no definitive play confirmed by the club.
- Judge still ranks among early AL MVP contenders despite a down year at the plate, with season numbers around a .248 average, 17 home runs and a roughly .908 OPS through 59 games.
- Teammates said his absence would be a major lineup loss, the Yankees are managing multiple injuries while sitting near the top of the AL East, and the club is expected to take a cautious approach depending on the specialist's findings.