Aaron Judge is officially day-to-day after imaging revealed a bone bruise near his right shoulder, and the Yankees kept their superstar out of the lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the Cleveland Guardians. Manager Aaron Boone said Judge will sit down with team doctors as the club tries to get a handle on the lingering soreness that has been nagging him for weeks.
The injury, located in Judge's upper right rib area, has been causing persistent shoulder discomfort and, according to The Washington Post, became more noticeable during New York's recent series in Sacramento. Boone has said the issue is affecting Judge's swing, and the slugger was scheduled to be examined by a team physician on Tuesday night as the Yankees decide whether rest alone can solve the problem.
Numbers and recent form
Even while fighting the discomfort, Judge has piled up 17 home runs and 38 RBIs this season. The recent trend, though, tells a different story: he is batting .248 overall and just .178 over the last 15 days, according to ABC7 New York. The Yankees have officially labeled him day-to-day while doctors sort out a recovery timeline.
Yankees' immediate plan
With Judge parked on the bench Tuesday, José Caballero got the start in right field and Ben Rice slid into the designated hitter role. As reported by MLB.com, the Yankees are hoping this is a situation that can be handled with rest rather than a stint on the injured list, but they are waiting on the team doctor's verdict before making any roster moves.
Short-term outlook
For now, Judge remains in the day-to-day bucket, with fantasy sites and beat reporters keeping a close eye on any change. RotoWire noted that the club expected to update his status after the medical evaluation. If the bruise requires a longer break, New York can lean on internal options, tweak the lineup, or call up reinforcements from Triple-A.
Boone struck an optimistic tone, saying, "Hopefully, we've avoided something serious," according to The Washington Post. Fans in the Bronx will be waiting on the next update once the team's doctor completes the evaluation later this week.
