Yankees: Aaron Judge Confirms He’ll Be Back This Season

Given General Manager Brian Cashman's inaction at the trade deadline, it was fair to wonder whether Aaron Judge had played his last game of the season for the New York Yankees, as he has been sidelined since May 31 due to a broken rib.

But fortunately for Bombers fans, Judge himself has dispelled any doubts that his season might be over. He wasn't going to say otherwise, but it's good news nonetheless.

“Oh, I'll be back this season. I don't see any reason why I wouldn't be back. It was always the plan to come back—sooner rather than later, that's for sure. But I never thought about not playing this year.”

Not only is this excellent news in the Bronx, but the Yankees' captain has also been given the green light to take the next step in his rehabilitation after undergoing his latest imaging yesterday, Tuesday.

Great news. I'm healing. So, I have the chance to make a little progress, to run, to do more upper-body movements, and to move toward getting back on the field. I'd love for it to be completely healed, for the fracture to disappear, and to start playing tomorrow, but that's not the case. Still, it's a big step forward.

Le Juge was actually on the field in his uniform yesterday afternoon (Wednesday), stretching, jogging, and doing exercises with a resistance band. It will still take some time before he's back in the lineup, though, because he first needs to be able to take a running start—which he can't do right now.

I think that's going to be the ultimate test: hitting. It's the most intense of all, I think—more so than running and things like that. So, when we do another scan, we'll see where things stand, and hopefully we'll add swings, throws, and all that later on.

The Yankees desperately need their star player back, because since his absence—on top of those of Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger—it's been a bunch of weak hitters stepping up to the plate.

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