Aaron Judge's Injury Updated by Yankees' Brian Cashman After Sitting Out 2026 MLB Playoffs

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is expecting star slugger Aaron Judge to be ready for spring training in 2027.

Cashman told reporters the Yankees and Judge "feel like we're in a good place" regarding the rib injury that caused him to miss the entire playoffs:

One player can only do so much, but Judge undoubtedly would've made a difference for New York when two of its three losses to the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series came by one run.

Yankees hitters combined to bat .130 and slug .239 in the sweep. Cody Bellinger had one hit in 12 at-bats, while Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham were hitless altogether.

Judge's shadow certainly loomed as the Bronx Bombers' offense dried up.

There's nothing that can be done about it now. The hope for New York moving forward is that the three-time AL MVP returns to form in 2027.

A .241/.360/.511 slash line and a 140 OPS+ would be good for a lot of batters. In the case of Judge, this year was his worst offensive campaign since his 2017 breakout.

Maybe the 34-year-old was simply snakebitten as various injuries forced him to miss 96 games in the regular season. His age is going to become a bigger and bigger consideration, though.

If Judge's production is beginning to decline, even gradually, it's going to be a serious concern for the Yankees.