The New York Yankees delivered some brutal news on Thursday and announced that superstar slugger Aaron Judge has been diagnosed with a right rib stress fracture and will miss at least four to six weeks. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch shared the news on X on Thursday. "The Yankees have announced that Aaron Judge has a stress fracture. He will be reimaged in approximately 4-6 weeks. The team does expect him to return this season," Hoch wrote. The Yankees have announced that Aaron Judge has a stress fracture. He will be reimaged in approximately 4-6 weeks. The team does expect him to return this season. pic.twitter.com/6uVLGK5P8N— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 5, 2026This isn't just big news for the Yankees, but the baseball world in general. This is a three-time American League Most Valuable Player we're talking about. Judge is the best slugger of his generation, but now he's sidelined for a few weeks. Right now, he has 385 total homers for his career and is 34 years old. Before his injury, Judge had a very slim shot at 600 homers in his career. With an extended absence coming, that doesn't appear to be the case any longer. Also, with Judge missing time, now the American League is completely up in the air. There are just five teams above .500: Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians, Chicago White Sox, and the Seattle Mariners. The Rays and Yankees are the only two teams in the AL at least 10 games above .500. The American League is wide open and New York is vulnerable now. With Judge on the shelf now, what should the Yankees do? Arguably, they need to move quickly in order to keep the gap in the American League they have built. Here are replacement options for Judge.InternalMay 19, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Spencer Jones (78) at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn ImagesSpencer JonesThis one is pretty obvious. With Judge out, Jones should get plenty of opportunities in the big leagues. He has 13 homers down in the minors in 43 games. He already has played in 10 games this season in the big leagues. It should be time to give him an extended look. Jasson Domínguez Same concept as above. With Domínguez, it's a little trickier right now because he's on the Injured List. But he's expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this weekend. When he's ready, he should get a good opportunity as well. ExternalSep 12, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) strikes out against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn ImagesLars Nootbaar – St. Louis CardinalsThis would be a dream addition for the Yankees at this time, although unlikely. Nootbaar was a trade candidate this past offseason, but he didn't get traded after undergoing heel surgery. He is expected to return for the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. He's a guy to watch over the next few weeks and then make a move. Taylor Ward – Baltimore OriolesWard has big-time power himself, although he hasn't shown it this year. He has just two homers after crushing 36 last year. This is a very bold take. It would be surprising to see the Yankees and another American League East rival in the Baltimore Orioles get a deal done of this size during the season. But Ward is the exact type of player the Yankees could use. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow