Aaron Judge hasn't swung a bat since May 31. Will he play in a Yankees game before Sept 1?
60% of users predicted NO — the community got this one right. 25 predictions cast.
Aaron Judge remained out of the Yankees' lineup through September 1, 2026, having last appeared in a game on May 31 due to a stress fracture in his first right rib. As of late August, Judge had been cleared for light activity, including running and upper-body resistance work, but had not yet returned to competitive play. The Yankees held Judge out as a precaution while he progressed through a hitting program, with manager Aaron Boone saying the team's captain could be activated from the 60-day injured list during New York's September 8-13 homestand against the Colorado Rockies and New York Mets, rather than before September 1. Judge sustained the rib injury after playing through pain for more than a month, and the club opted for a deliberate, rehab-assignment-free recovery track. His extended absence coincided with a marked offensive decline for the Yankees, whose lineup ranked among the bottom of MLB in runs scored, OPS and batting average during the stretch he missed, complicating the team's push to overtake Tampa Bay for the American League East title. The community prediction-market majority correctly anticipated that Judge would not play before September 1.