Judge to 60-day IL, needs another scan before return
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- Aaron Judge was moved to the 60-day injured list Saturday and needs another scan before any ramp-up of activity, as his fractured rib (sidelined since May 31) continues to heal; Boone said the pain is shifting from sharp to more of a 'pull'
- Dr. Gregory J. Pearl, chair of vascular surgery at Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital, reviewed Judge's All-Star break scan and told the team there is 'healing going on' but not enough yet to begin upper-body work
- The 60-day IL move was procedural — it opened a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Bradley Hanner, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and then optioned back to the RailRiders the same day
- Clarke Schmidt threw his first batting practice since July 2024 Tommy John surgery, reaching 95 mph on four-seamers, sinkers, and cutters across 15 pitches (no breaking balls) to Volpe and Sanchez, and said he may return this season as a reliever
- Giancarlo Stanton is one week into his running progression from a right calf strain (out since April 24) but still hasn't run the bases; Boone is 'hopeful getting close' despite a setback three to four weeks ago
- Max Fried made his first rehab start Friday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre since May 14 (left elbow bone bruise), allowing 2 runs on 5 hits over 3 innings with 3 strikeouts and 0 walks on 52 pitches; another start in five days
- The Yankees are 18-20 since Judge last played on May 31 after starting 36-23, underscoring the cost of losing their captain during a stretch where he hit just one homer in his final 18 games (.248, 17 HR, 38 RBI on the year)
Why it matters: The 60-day IL move pushes Judge's earliest return into late August, and the Yankees' record has slid from 36-23 to 18-20 since he went down on May 31. With Stanton, Schmidt, and Fried all working back on separate timelines, New York's stretch run hinges on a staggered recovery that Boone can only monitor one scan at a time.
