Yankees' Aaron Judge Sidelined with Rib Fracture, Expected to Return This Season

(New York, 4th, Combined Foreign Reports) The New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB) announced today that star slugger Aaron Judge is sidelined with a stress fracture of his first right rib and will be out for a period of time, but the team expects him to return this season.

According to AFP and Reuters, the Yankees said that the 34-year-old Judge will be re-evaluated in 4 to 6 weeks "to determine the degree of healing and appropriate next steps," but is "expected to return at some point this season."

The statement said he will need "a period of rest and restricted activity."

Judge previously suffered a stress fracture of his first right rib in 2019 while making a diving catch, which was accompanied by a partial lung collapse.

Judge won his third American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award last season, hitting 53 home runs and leading the league with a .331 batting average.

He missed three consecutive games this week trying to determine the cause of right shoulder discomfort. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the issue had been bothering him for "several weeks."