The New York Yankees are hard to figure out.They won’t have Aaron Judge for the foreseeable future, yet they’re just three games back in the American League East. They looked horrible, recently losing 15 of 20, and then they rolled off four straight wins before the All-Star break. They have Ben Rice mashing and Camilo Doval melting down.Who are these guys?Are they title contenders? Pretenders? A little of both?Let’s sort it out by looking at the Yankees’ biggest second-half storylines to watch before they return to action Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.How Philly landed the All-Star Game for America’s 250Tyler Kepner and moreThey need Aaron Judge back ASAPIt’s a big week in the Bronx, even if there won’t be any games until Friday.Sometime this week, doctors will perform tests on Judge’s first right rib, which has a stress fracture that has kept him off the field since June 1.The Yankees don’t expect it to be fully healed, but they do hope to see improvement to the point where he can begin upper-body workouts — his biggest step toward returning to the field.Judge is the biggest key to their future. The 35-year-old three-time MVP is the best hitter in the game, and when he’s out of the Yankees’ lineup, they don’t have nearly the firepower to replace him. (To be fair, no team could fully recover from losing a player of Judge’s caliber.)Before Judge went on ice, the Yankees had scored the fourth-most runs in MLB (305 in 59 games) and were second in wRC+ (116). Since then? They’re 22nd in runs (157 in 37 games), and 23rd in wRC+ (93).They didn’t sign Cody Bellinger to be their No. 1 offensive option, and Rice can’t do it all by himself. He’ll need help from Trent Grisham and Jazz Chisholm Jr., in particular. The Yankees will also need Giancarlo Stanton (right calf strain) back at some point. He last played April 24.But more than anything, they need to hear Judge will begin workouts soon and get himself back on the field. If Judge can return by Sept. 1, it should give him enough time to round into playing shape for October.Will the shortstop dilemma resolve itself?The Yankees have signaled they don’t fully believe in Anthony Volpe. In their biggest series of the season last week against the Tampa Bay Rays, Volpe started in one of the four games. He then started in just one of the three games against the Washington Nationals. As of now, it’s clear he’s not viewed as a starter.But José Caballero isn’t a much better option. Both Caballero and Volpe have a 95 wRC+. Volpe has better underlying metrics and has graded out more favorably in the range-based defensive metric, Outs Above Average.George Lombard Jr. (sprained fingers) began a rehab assignment Monday, and the Yankees hope their No. 1 prospect will return to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre soon. Should Lombard show his injuries are no longer an issue, and he sustains quality production, he could find himself playing shortstop in the Bronx well before the calendar turns to September and rosters expand.“He’s been pushing himself before the injury,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said last week. “Definitely was thriving and conquering the final level.“Looking forward to getting him back and active. He might be a choice at some point.”The Yankees could use upgrades at the trade deadlineIt might not seem like it to many who watch the team daily, but the Yankees have the best bullpen ERA in the American League (3.10).Still, they could use at least one more high-leverage reliever. David Bednar, Fernando Cruz and Brent Headrick are their top three relievers, but that’s not enough to get a club through October. Paul Blackburn has emerged as a trustworthy reliever. Among all pitchers with at least 30 innings since May 14, Blackburn’s 1.16 ERA is the best in baseball.Outside of those four, the Yankees’ bullpen is a mixed bag. Doval has the highest upside, but he hasn’t had sustained success because of his struggles against lefties. Tim Hill is unhittable against lefties but can’t pitch against righties. It’s hard to envision him having a role in the postseason. Jake Bird, Ryan Yarbrough and Angel Chivilli are the lowest on the bullpen trust tree.The starting pitching is in good shape, especially if Max Fried and Carlos Rodón return from their injuries. It could allow the Yankees to explore moving Ryan Weathers or Will Warren into the bullpen before October.They could use some of their pitching depth to add another high-impact bat before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Who knows how Judge and Stanton will look when they return from their injuries. Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt have slowed down over the past several weeks, and Chisholm has not been able to maintain any hot streak.Adding another bat might not be the biggest priority — aside from catcher — but the Yankees should at least consider the possibility, if only to provide more insurance against continued underperformance by several key hitters.Jul 15, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms