The past few days have been very stressful for New York Yankees fans. They have been without Aaron Judge since their May 31st game against the Athletics. To make matters worst they did not have an exact reason for why Judge was missing these games. Originally, they said it was a bone bruise, but he then had to undergo further testing. This revealed that Judge has suffered a stress fracture on the first rib on his right side, and will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.
This is a major blow for the Yankees. While he hasn’t been as good as in the past, he’s put together a very solid season. In 59 games, he has a slashline of .249/.375/.533 with 17 home runs, 38 RBIs, and a 152 OPS+. The Yankees will need to find a way to replace this for the foreseeable future. While he will be re-evaluated in a little over a month, there is no timetable for his return. But who will have to step up, and can the Yankees survive without their captain?
How Will The Yankees Replace Aaron Judge
Although we do not know how long Judge will be out, he is expected to return at some point this season. As bad as it seems, it could have been much worse. There were reports that he had Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, which would have required season-ending surgery. So it looks like they have avoided the worst. They at least know he will be back at some point this season. All they need to do is tread water and be in a playoff spot until Judge is ready to go.
But this has been a problem for the Yankees in the past. Their success is closely tied to whether Judge is in the lineup or not. Since 2021, the Yankees have a record of 45-58 when Judge is out of the lineup. There is no clearer example of this than in 2023, when the Yankees went from 57-49 with Judge to a record of 25-33 without him. Judge presence turned them from a struggling team into one contending for a playoff spot. So replacing him and keeping the team competitive won’t be easy.
As a response to the news, the Yankees have recalled Spencer Jones. According to MLB Pipeline, he is the sixth-best prospect in the Yankees system. He made his major league debut this season and did not have the best showing. In 10 games, he slashed .167/.259/.167 with two RBIs and a 23 OPS+. But he’s faired much better in Triple-A, slashing .269/.378/.571 with 13 home runs and 48 RBIs. The hope is that with Jones getting consistent playing time, he can have the same success he did in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
This also has a slugger who should be able to pick up where Judge left off. The emergence of Ben Rice this season has been huge for the Yankees. Through 57 games, he has slashed .300/.393/.638 with 17 home runs, 44 RBIs, and a 184 OPS+. While the offense will take a step back in Judge’s absence, Rice will still keep it competitive. He will be a home run threat and someone that the Yankees can build the order around. Thus putting him in the best position to drive in runs.
While losing Judge hurts the Yankees, they still will be able to compete. They will not fall apart as they have in the past, and should be in a playoff spot when he returns from injury.
