New York Yankees captain Judge sidelined with right rib contusion; manager Boone says: Hope it's not a serious injury

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge was absent from today's matchup against the Cleveland Guardians because of a bone bruise near his right shoulder and ribs. Yankees skipper Aaron Boone said Judge's status is day-to-day, expressing hope that the injury is not a prolonged or serious one.

According to the MRI results from yesterday, Judge sustained a bone bruise in his right front shoulder and upper rib region. Boone told the media that Judge had been dealing with right shoulder soreness for the past few weeks. "During the final games in Sacramento over the weekend, I noticed his swing was affected, and the situation became more troublesome than before—it was no longer just a minor ache," Boone said. However, it was only during a hospital checkup on Tuesday that the bruising in the front lower shoulder and rib area was discovered.

Judge's injury is currently classified as day-to-day. Boone remains optimistic about the two-time AL MVP's condition, but he emphasized that a concrete return timeline won't be determined until Judge meets with doctors later today. "We think overall it's good news, and we hope it's just day-to-day," Boone said. "It could be a few days, or maybe longer—I'm not sure yet. It depends on how he feels each day, but we hope to avoid a serious injury and get this resolved quickly."

Judge has had a strong start to the season, posting a .248 batting average with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs, but his recent injury has hampered his offensive output. Over the past 15 days, he has hit just .178 with 14 strikeouts and has only one home run since May 11.

With Judge out, the Yankees have deployed utility player José Caballero to start in right field and bat eighth, marking his 39th career appearance in right field.