Judge says rib originally fractured on dive in Apr...

Jorge CastilloJun 5, 2026, 04:44 PM ET

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ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

NEW YORK -- Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge said the stress fracture in his right rib stems from him diving for a ball in late April and he played through discomfort for over a month until the pain became unbearable over the weekend in Sacramento.

The three-time American League MVP declined to discuss a possible timeline to return to play. The Yankees on Thursday night announced he will be re-imaged in four to six weeks before deciding the next steps. They expect him to return this season.

Judge underwent X-rays, a CT scan, and an MRI this week as the club attempted to pinpoint the injury.

He was also evaluated by Dr. Gregory Pearl, a thoracic outlet management specialist. Judge insisted he never thought he was dealing with a thoracic outlet issue, which would likely have knocked him out for the remainder of the season.

"I just wanted an answer," Judge said.

Judge said the stress fracture is "near the same spot" as the stress fracture he suffered when he dove for a ball in September 2019. He played through the injury through the end of the season and was diagnosed with the injury in March 2020. He didn't miss any games, however, because the start of the season was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manager Aaron Boone said Judge will be shut down from baseball activities for now.