The New York Yankees are officially going to be without star outfielder Aaron Judge for an extended period of time. Judge has a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side, the Yankees announced on Thursday night, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "This will require a period of rest and limited activity," New York's announcement reads. "He will be reimaged in approximately four to six weeks to determine level of healing and appropriate next steps." The good news, though, is that the Yankees don't anticipate that this will be a season-ending injury. The 6-foot-7 outfielder is "expected to return at some point this season," according to the team's statement. Earlier this week, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Judge was dealing with a bone bruise in his right rib area that was also affecting his shoulder and his swing. The three-time MVP had been "dealing with nagging soreness for a couple of weeks," according to the YES Network's Jack Curry, which likely contributed to his career-high 11 straight games without an RBI in May. But now, the Yankees know their star slugger won't be in the lineup for the foreseeable future. How Aaron Judge's injury impacts American League playoff picture, MLB overallMay 22, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts after striking out to end the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesThe last time Judge had an extended absence from the lineup was in 2023, which is also the last time the Yankees missed the playoffs. New York obviously hopes that won't be the case this time around, but it's no exaggeration to say that the team's offense won't be the same without the seven-time All-Star. Despite playing through this injury for at least part of this season, Judge posted a .248 batting average, a .375 on-base percentage, and a .908 OPS with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs in 59 games. Regardless of any stats, though, just his presence in the lineup is enough to impact a game in some form. The Yankees currently have a 37-25 record, which marks the most wins of any team in the American League. But depending on how New York performs without Judge, the American League East standings and the AL Wild Card race could look a whole lot different by the time he returns. This could also impact the Yankees' strategy at the trade deadline if things start to go south in the Bronx without their captain. And some teams that might have previously considered being sellers at the deadline could change their minds based on how the standings evolve while the slugger is sidelined. No matter how you look at it, Judge's injury is set to have a major ripple effect across the entire league for the rest of the 2026 season. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow