Yankees expecting injury word soon as Judge misses 3rd straight game - ESPN

NEW YORK — Aaron Judge was out of the lineup Thursday for a third straight game and the New York Yankees were awaiting clarity about a bone bruise in one of the slugger's right ribs that is causing right shoulder pain.

«I absolutely expect something in the next couple of hours,» manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees concluded a three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians. «He went for more testing today just because he's got edema there. So, they want to get [the most] specific images they can to try and see exactly what we have.»

Judge underwent a CT scan on Thursday morning and had an MRI earlier in the week when he met with a specialist. The bruise was first revealed when Judge underwent testing on the team's off day on Monday.

«I'm obviously not a doctor, I don't know how it all works, but there's a lot of people involved in trying to make sure we get the right diagnosis,» Boone said

Judge was diagnosed with a stress fracture in one of his right ribs in March 2020. The injury occurred when he dove for a ball in September 2019, but Judge did not miss any time because the 2020 season was delayed by the pandemic.

He is hitting .248 with 17 homers and 38 RBIs. The three-time AL MVP has one homer in his past 18 games since May 10 and ended an 11-game homer and RBI drought with a game-ending, two-run drive on May 24 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Judge entered the game against Tampa Bay in a 1-for-24 slump that dropped his batting average to .246. He was hitless in 15 at-bats before singling in the first inning.

Judge won the batting title last season when he hit a career-high .331 with 53 homers and 114 RBIs in 152 games. He missed 10 games from July 26-Aug. 4 with a flexor strain in his right elbow that he