Best of the Yankees on WFAN: Aaron Judge will miss extended time

**Craig Carton** (0:00)
You got breaking news?

**Chris McMonigle** (0:01)
Yeah, I haven't even seen it on Twitter yet, but I just got this from Yankees PR.
So Aaron Judge has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side. This will require a period of rest and limited activity. He will be re-imaged in approximately four to six weeks to determine the level of healing and appropriate next steps. And then last note, Judge is expected to return at some point this season. So I would say that's worse case avoided. Still not great, but yeah, but that's what I just got from Yankees PR. I don't see it on Twitter yet, but they just sent the email probably strategically at 10.05 at night on a, okay, now Kershner just, no, I got it.

**Craig Carton** (0:42)
Yeah. So Chris Kershner of the Athletic Yankee say Aaron Judge has been diagnosed as we just said, with a stress fracture of the first rib on the right side. This will require a period of rest and limited activity. He will be re-imaged in approximately four to six weeks to determine level of healing and appropriate steps. Okay.
All right. So I mean, I think if he had TOS, I'm done saying that stupid comment. If he had TOS, they would have said so. He would be having surgery. He's got a broken rib. He's got a broken rib.
That's, I suppose best case, that's we knew he was going to be on the aisle for a while. Stress fracture of the first rib on his right side. He's going to be gone now. Again, who knows how long he's going to.
He will be re-imaged in approximately four to six weeks. So best case scenario, he has healing in a month. They'll look at him in a month, say four weeks. So they look at him in a month, see what the imaging says. If he gets healthier, if he gets better, maybe he could start working his way back. I would say best case scenario, best case is that there's healing in the rib within four weeks and he starts working back.
I don't know. I don't want to speculate. Two months, right? Two months.
That's not that bad. I mean, it's bad. They got to win in the meantime. And we just talked about some of the things they're going to have to do. But we avoided the disastrous season ender. I mean, I think two months is a fair guess. I suppose it could be worse.
But say we're just starting June. He misses all of June, all of July. See, I would sign in blood for, I think I said this during the show, I would sign in blood for August 1st. And I think now, that's what you're hoping for. So I was hoping we would get the outcome tonight. I'm trying to see if there's any...
Sorry, I'm just trying to read. I know I'm being very francesa-ish right now. But I'm trying to see if there's any timetables for fractured rib. Ryan, see if you can see a comp. I know I'm being a pain, but see if you can find a comp somewhere, of someone who broke the first rib.
See if there's any sort of timetable on it.
So if you're just listening now, breaking news. We had fears that it could be Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, TOS, and that would have been a surgery that would have kept him out for the entire season. And with pitchers, the idea is that you never get quite... It's not like Tommy John where you come back just as good. Guys have kind of never been the same coming back. It's a little early in the...
It's a little early for...
What's his name in Philadelphia? Again, sometimes the name's even on big name starting pitchers. Zach Wheeler. Zach Wheeler, thank you.
It's a little early on the return for Zach Wheeler to say exactly how he's... I'll have to check Zach Wheeler's numbers. But I don't know what it would have been for an offensive player. But it doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. He doesn't have it. He's got a stress fracture in his first rib. So he's going to be gone, I would think, at least two months. So how do the Yankees... And so that's the breaking news. Judge stress fracture in his first rib. He is going to be re-evaluated and more imaging done in four to six weeks. And at that point, they will determine how to go about handling it. So at the bare minimum, I mean, four to six weeks imaging, then he's got to ramp it back up. Then he's got to probably go on some rehab games. So you're probably looking at two months minimum. But I also think that's a fair gauge. Like, I don't think we're looking at September. I think you're looking at some time in August. I would still guess probably sometime in early to mid-August. But he's not gone for the year. He will be back for the postseason. But if you care about such things, there goes his fourth 50 homerun season. There goes his third consecutive MVP.