Overview
- The Yankees plan to have Judge face live MLB pitching at Yankee Stadium on Monday as the decisive evaluation before any recall from the injured list.
- Judge prefers to skip a minor‑league rehab assignment and return directly to the major‑league lineup if he tolerates live pitching and shows no symptoms.
- Manager Aaron Boone has said he wants to play Judge “as much as he can” once cleared and will likely use scheduled days off to manage his workload.
- Trent Grisham was placed on the 10‑day injured list with a Grade‑2 hamstring strain, increasing urgency to finalize Judge’s activation and reshuffle the outfield.
- Medical staff and analysts warn that a first‑rib stress fracture is sensitive to high‑torque swings and that skipping rehab games reduces controlled game reps and may raise reinjury risk.