The New York Yankees entered Tuesday night hoping to put an end to a miserable stretch, but instead watched their slump deepen with a 9-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium. The defeat capped another frustrating chapter for a club that has seen its momentum disappear over the past several weeks, and the latest update on Aaron Judge offered little comfort for fans looking for a reason to believe a turnaround is close.
Before first pitch, Yankees manager Aaron Boone appeared on the latest edition of the “Talkin’ Yanks” podcast and discussed Judge’s recovery from the stress fracture in the first rib on his right side. The injury has sidelined the Yankees captain since May 31, and Boone’s comments suggested that the recovery process is moving along as expected rather than accelerating.
Aaron Judge Still Waiting for Next Step
According to reports, Boone explained that Judge is “probably a couple weeks” away from undergoing new imaging on the injury. That timeline closely matches the original June 4 announcement that Judge would be reexamined roughly four to six weeks after the diagnosis before the club determined the next phase of his rehabilitation.
Boone did point to some encouraging signs, but they stopped well short of indicating that Judge is nearing a return.
“He’s starting to feel better,” Boone said. “He was uncomfortable there for a while. It seems like the normal stuff is starting to feel better, so hopefully that’s a good sign of some healing, but he’s still not able to do much, and certainly not able to do any baseball activities yet.”
Those remarks reinforce that Judge remains in the early stages of recovery. While everyday discomfort appears to be easing, the inability to resume baseball activities means several important milestones still remain before he can begin working toward a return to the Yankees lineup.
Yankees Continue to Slide Without Their Captain
The timing has only added to the frustration surrounding the club. The Yankees were 36-23 when Judge last appeared in a major league game. Since then, they have struggled to maintain their footing, finishing June on a six-game losing streak that dropped them to 48-37.
The club’s offensive inconsistency and recent pitching struggles have combined to erase what once looked like a comfortable position near the top of the standings. Each loss has increased the urgency as the schedule moves deeper into the summer.
Boone and Volpe Address Growing Frustration
Boone did not attempt to hide his disappointment after Tuesday’s loss.
“This week’s been pretty crappy,” the Yankees manager admitted, summing up what has become an increasingly difficult stretch for the club.
Players are feeling the pressure as well. Shortstop Anthony Volpe acknowledged that the team has been pressing during the losing streak, an admission that reflects the mounting frustration inside the clubhouse.
“Everyone’s pi—-,” Volpe said. “So we just gotta do what we gotta do, do our jobs, to get a win and start from there.”
With Judge still unable to participate in baseball activities, expectations for a return before late summer remain uncertain. Boone’s latest timeline suggests the Yankees will have their captain back anytime soon, and any roster reinforcement through a trade is unlikely before the second half of the season begins on July 17.
For now, the Yankees are left searching for answers with the players already on the roster. Their next opportunity to halt the slide comes Wednesday afternoon, when they host the 37-49 Tigers and try to avoid making an already difficult stretch even more damaging.
