The New York Yankees sit second in the American League East, the same position they occupied at this point last season, trailing a club that has exceeded expectations. Last year it was the Toronto Blue Jays; this season the Tampa Bay Rays hold that spot and lead the season series 6-3, with a pivotal four-game set in the Bronx scheduled for late September.
The 2026 Yankees enter the stretch run with significant health concerns surrounding several key players, headlined by Aaron Judge and Max Fried, even after the recent returns of Cody Bellinger and Carlos Rodon from the injured list. Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. has joked about the club’s depth on the injured list, but the team’s postseason hopes hinge on getting core contributors back to health.
Judge has a stress fracture in the first right rib and last appeared in a game on May 31, with a best-case return projected for the second week of September. He has been cleared for baseball activities, has played catch, shagged fly balls and completed agility drills. After limited tee and soft-toss work, he recently took swings against overhand pitches in the batting cage as he progresses toward batting practice, live at-bats and a potential rehab assignment.
Judge has voiced opposition to a minor-league rehab stint, saying, “Why waste at-bats? Why waste anything in a minor-league game?” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Judge would return to right field with occasional designated-hitter days, though Boone acknowledged the inherent risk in resuming outfield play coming off the rib injury. Judge added that evaluations of his power and bat speed will come when he appears in games.
Offensive production has been hampered during Judge’s absence: the team ranks 28th in runs scored and OPS, 29th in wRC+ and 30th in batting average across that span. On paper, if the Yankees close the gap on the Rays and enter the postseason intact, they would be viewed as pennant favorites; conversely, further injuries or a wild-card matchup with the streaking Boston Red Sox would complicate the road forward. The Yankees will look to get important contributors back into the lineup ahead of this weekend’s crucial four-game series against Boston.
