Aaron Judge is moving forward in his recovery, but the Yankees still do not have a firm return date for their captain as the 2026 season continues. Judge has not played since May 31 because of a stress fracture in his right first rib.
On Aug. 5, he was cleared for light activity, including outdoor running and upper-body resistance training, after imaging showed enough healing to advance his rehabilitation. As of Aug. 13, however, Judge still had not been cleared for baseball activities. MLB.com reported on Aug. 5 that September appeared to be the most likely return scenario, but no official return date has been announced.
Judge finally has a clearer path back
The latest scan gave Judge enough healing to advance his rehabilitation. On Aug. 5, the Yankees cleared him for light activities, including outdoor running and upper-body resistance training, after another round of imaging showed sufficient progress.
The judge has also made his own position clear. He told reporters, “I’ll be back this season,” adding that he never considered not playing again in 2026. His quick return will give the team a huge boost.
Why September is becoming the key target
The Yankees have consistently expected Judge to return this season, but the timeline has shifted as his recovery took longer than initially hoped. MLB.com reported that September now appears to be the most likely scenario because Judge still had not swung a bat or begun baseball activities as of Aug. 5.
Brian Cashman has also emphasized that the situation remains fluid. The Yankees general manager said the organization is very optimistic about Judge returning, while acknowledging that the rehabilitation process is a “moving target.”
Judge’s injury has changed the Yankees
The judge’s absence has been difficult to overlook. Through the first 54 games without him, the Yankees went 27-27, while their offense ranked near the bottom of the majors in several major categories, according to MLB.com.
Since June 1, New York ranked 26th in runs per game, 30th in batting average and on-base percentage, and tied for 27th in OPS through the Aug. 4 update. Those numbers help explain why getting Judge back has become one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Yankees’ stretch run.
Fun fact: Judge has won three American League MVP Awards. He also became the American League single-season home run record holder in 2022 when he hit 62 homers.
What was the judge doing before the injury?
Judge was still producing at a high level before the rib problem forced him to the injured list. In 59 games, he hit .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs. The judge has said he believes the injury originated during a diving attempt against the Houston Astros on April 26.
He continued playing for more than a month as the discomfort worsened before undergoing additional testing that revealed the stress fracture.
Despite playing through the injury, Judge remained one of the Yankees’ most productive hitters before being sidelined.
The Yankees need more than a medical clearance
Returning to the lineup is not simply a matter of receiving a favorable scan. Judge still needs to be cleared for baseball activities and rebuild his workload after an extended absence from game action.
Judge has said he hopes to avoid a full 6-week, Spring Training-style buildup once he resumes baseball work, but the Yankees will determine how quickly he can progress based on his health and response to each stage of rehabilitation.
The club must balance the urgency of getting its captain back with the need to avoid a setback. Hitting, throwing, and other baseball-specific work remain important steps before Judge can return to Major League game action.
Why fans are watching every update
For Yankees fans, the latest news offers something that had been missing for much of the summer: visible progress. Judge is now back on the field in uniform, running and doing controlled upper-body work rather than being limited almost entirely to lower-body exercises.
That doesn’t guarantee a specific return date, but it gives the Yankees a clearer sequence to follow. The next major signs will be when Judge begins baseball activities, starts swinging, and eventually faces live pitching.
What comes next for Aaron Judge
The club will continue monitoring Judge’s symptoms and workload before moving him into baseball-specific drills. The next stage should provide a much better indication of whether his September window can hold.
A September return is now the most realistic window reported by MLB.com, but that remains a working expectation rather than a guaranteed date. Judge’s own confidence is encouraging, while Cashman’s caution reflects how much can still change during a rib recovery.
For a Yankees team trying to make noise down the stretch, the difference between getting Judge back in September and losing him for the season would be enormous. That is why every rehab milestone now carries extra significance.
TL;DR
- Aaron Judge has advanced to outdoor running and upper-body resistance work after a new scan showed enough healing.
- The Yankees still expect him to return during the 2026 regular season, but there is no official return date.
- September is now the most likely window based on his current rehabilitation stage.
- Judge has been out since May 31 with a stress fracture in his right first rib.
- New York has struggled offensively without its three-time MVP and captain.
- The next major milestones are baseball activities, swinging, and eventually live game action.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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