What Latest Aaron Judge News Means for Yankees, Rest of MLB at Trade Deadline

New York's captain hasn't played since the end of May

Mar 27, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees have provided an update on injured outfielder Aaron Judge. And for most New York fans, this likely isn't the news they were hoping to hear about the three-time MVP.

Judge was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Saturday. The 34-year-old originally went on the 10-day injured list in early June, though, so this seems like just a formality at this point. But more importantly, the eight-time All-Star went for re-imaging on his right rib stress fracture and was not cleared to resume baseball activities.

"There's healing going on, which is good, but he's still not able to start any baseball activities or anything," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said about Judge, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "He needs to get to a point where he's asymptomatic, where you really start ramping up more upper-body stuff. The good news is, the pain is subsiding somewhat over the last couple weeks and changing from that sharp [pain] to more dull."

How will the Yankees approach the trade deadline with Aaron Judge's status for 2026 still up in the air?

Jul 4, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) watches from the dugout in the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Judge was recently asked if he believes he'll play again in 2026 and said, "I don't see why I wouldn't," according to Hoch. But even if he does return for the end of the season, the Yankees may have to enter the upcoming trade deadline with the mindset that their captain might be sidelined for the foreseeable future.

Either way, New York's top priorities at the trade deadline will seemingly be bullpen help and a righty-swinging catcher. But it's unclear how aggressively the Yankees will pursue the biggest names at those positions given the uncertainty around Judge's status for this season. If New York's front office feels like the current face of the franchise won't be back in 2026, it wouldn't be surprising if they were slightly more cautious about going all in on winning this year.

At the same time, the American League seems completely wide open at this point in the season. Even following the Boston Red Sox's current 12-game winning streak, there are only six teams in the AL that are over .500. As a result, the Yankees could view the deadline as an opportunity to improve a roster that has a chance to get back to the World Series even if Judge remains on the shelf.

How New York plays over the next few weeks could also influence the front office's plans for the trade deadline. In turn, the Yankees' approach to the deadline may have a significant impact on what moves unfold across the majors. And if another update on Judge is provided before early August, that could have massive ramifications on the league as a whole, too.