Aaron Judge faces a very long absence (but his season isn’t over yet)

It's a tough blow in the Bronx.

We know that for the past few days, the Yankees have been waiting to see if Aaron Judge has a serious injury that will keep him out of action for a while.

And now the bad news has been announced.

The Yankees' captain has a rib fracture on his right side. He will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks, which means he'll be out for a very long time.

In their statement on the matter, the Yankees mentioned that they expect Judge to be able to return to play at some point this season.

It's clear that phrasing it this way really suggests a long absence. He won't be able to win the MVP this season.

Seeing #99 go down is undoubtedly the worst possible news for the Yankees. After all, he is the best hitter in MLB and an exceptional leader.

Without him, the Yankees (1.5 games behind the Rays in the division) will have to find a way not just to survive, but to succeed. C.C. Sabathia believes they can do it, anyway.

Because Gerrit Cole and Judge are getting older and older, making the most of 2026 is imperative. I expect to see Brian Cashman being very aggressive in replacing Judge's bat on the trade market.

Even though paying a high price for Tarik Skubal was already a long shot given the rotation's depth, the #1 need in the Bronx has become clearer than ever in the last few hours.

• Anthony Rizzo is living his best life.

• Blue Jays win.

• Austin Voth to Minnesota.

• Dylan Cease: 75 pitches in Buffalo.

• Sean Keys promoted to Buffalo.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.