Aaron Judge has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side, ruling out earlier concerns of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), the New York Yankees announced on June 4, 2026 [1, 2]. Judge was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 5 and is expected to miss multiple weeks, with re-imaging planned in 4 to 6 weeks to reassess his recovery [3, 2].

Judge had experienced shoulder soreness and discomfort for several weeks that limited his playing time in late May and early June 2026 [4, 5]. He was removed from the Yankees’ lineup during the seventh inning of the May 31 game and missed at least the next three games before his injury status was confirmed and he was placed on the injured list [4, 3].

Before the diagnosis of the stress fracture, there had been concern Judge might be suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome, a more serious condition that often requires season-ending surgery [4, 3]. However, after undergoing MRI and CT scans and consulting with TOS specialist Dr. Gregory Pearl in Dallas between June 2 and 4, that possibility was ruled out, providing some relief for the team [4, 3, 1].

Yankees manager Aaron Boone emphasized the need for further evaluation, saying, "He’s going back for some more imaging. They just want to get some more specific spots, and so we’ll have more on that later." Boone added, "We just want clarity on what we’re exactly dealing with. Then we can set the course of action and kind of have an idea what the timeline is going to be." [5]

Judge had appeared in 59 games this season before the injury, hitting 17 home runs with an OPS+ of 152, which ranks him among the top hitters in the American League [3, 5]. Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole said, "Aaron obviously means a lot to us. He just plays great baseball all the time and brings great energy. It’s tough when guys get hurt, but unfortunately, it’s part of the game. As a team, you’ve got to figure out how to step up in those situations, and so that’s what we’ll do." [1]

The Yankees will re-image Judge’s rib in 4 to 6 weeks to monitor his healing and determine when he can return to the lineup [3, 2].