New York Yankees confirmed outfielder Aaron Judge suffers a stress fracture of his right first rib, ending his streak of three games missed while doctors ran MRI, CT and X‑rays. The club expects a return later this season after a four‑ to six‑week imaging window, and cleared for play soon. Diagnosis rules out a thoracic outlet issue that could have kept him sidelined all year.

Judge entered the campaign batting .248 with 17 home runs and a .907 OPS over 59 games, positioning him as a central power source for a Yankees squad chasing the AL East lead. The injury traces back to a September 2019 dive, previously surfacing in March 2020 but masked by the pandemic‑delayed season. He now faces a rehab timeline that could overlap the playoff push.

Yankees officials stressed the fracture is less severe than feared, allowing the club to avoid a season‑ending loss of its marquee slugger. Managerial plans will now revolve around lineup adjustments and potential call‑ups from Triple‑A. Judge’s eventual return will restore a key offensive catalyst as New York battles for postseason positioning.