Aaron Judge specter looms over start of Yankees’ second half

As most of his teammates enjoyed a break to gear up for the second half, Aaron Judge was trying to find out how much of it he will be able to play in.

The most significant item on the Yankees’ docket this week was not Cody Bellinger winning All-Star Game MVP, Ben Rice showing off his swing in the Home Run Derby or even a 2024 World Series rematch against the Dodgers that begins on Friday in The Bronx.

It was Judge going through a round of imaging on his right rib — nearly six weeks after doctors discovered a stress fracture — to help determine if and when he will return to the Yankees in the second half. The organization was not expecting to find a fully healed rib, but it was holding its breath nonetheless as it hoped to at least see enough improvement to allow the back-to-back AL MVP to begin mixing in some upper-body exercises after being shut down from them during his time on the injured list.

“Hopefully we get some positive news there and we can start moving forward,” manager Aaron Boone said on the final day of the first half. “But I try not to think too much about it until we hear. It’s going to be what it is.”

The results, though, could have a major impact in determining the Yankees’ fate this season. If enough healing has occurred, perhaps Judge could be back at some point in late August. If not, well, then the clock starts ticking a bit louder on the Yankees’ hope and expectation to get Judge back on the field this season.

But either way, the Yankees are not going to rush Judge back too soon.

“We don’t want to, because the schedule is what it is, put him in the position where we’re putting him in jeopardy, where somehow it gets worse,” GM Brian Cashman said last week. “Because the downside of that would be a real problem, in my opinion, from what I understand.”

The Yankees also know that even in a best-case scenario, it is likely still going to be at least another month before they get Judge back, meaning they will have to do better than their 18-19 record since he last played. They began 12-8 without him, then entered a 2-11 tailspin in which they were terrible at just about every facet of the game, before recovering to win four straight games heading into the break.

They should get some help in the coming weeks with the potential return of Max Fried (who could begin a rehab assignment Friday night) and Carlos Rodón (there was hope he might throw a bullpen session during the break) to strengthen the rotation. Their bullpen and perhaps the lineup (especially at catcher) could get reinforcements by the Aug. 3 trade deadline. And maybe they get Giancarlo Stanton back at some point in the second half, though they still don’t seem to have much of an idea about when that could happen after a second calf strain delayed his return.

That said, had you told the Yankees before the season that in the first half they would miss Judge for 37 games, Stanton for 70 games, Fried for 52 games, Rodón for 52 games and Gerrit Cole for 51 games before the All-Star break, and they would still be 54-42 — three games back of the Rays for first place in the AL East — they likely would have signed up for that.

But the goal is not just to survive extended injury absences from most of their stars and highest-paid players. The goal is to win in October, and for that to happen, the Yankees will first need to get good news from Judge’s reimaging this week.

“The way I look at it is, we’ve given ourselves a chance to realize all our hopes and dreams,” Boone said. “We’re set up to go take it. It’s a long way to go still. For whatever’s gone on in the first however many games we’ve played now, we’ve given ourselves a chance. Our goal is to play for and win a championship. That’s still there for the taking. It’s going to be a long road, tough road, but hopefully one we’re up to the challenge.”