Yankees put Judge on injured list with rib stress fracture
Baseball
The New York Yankees placed Aaron Judge on the 10-day injured list Friday, a day after announcing the slugger has a stress fracture in one of his ribs that will keep him off the field indefinitely.
The three-time AL MVP will rest and have limited activity before getting re-evaluated and having additional imaging in about four to six weeks. The Yankees said in a statement that Judge is expected to return “at some point this season.”
They recalled Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre for his second stint with the team to replace Judge.
Jones went 4 for 24 on May 8-21 after being called up to replace Jasson Domínguez, who injured the AC joint in his shoulder while crashing into the left-field fence on a catch against Brandon Nimmo on May 7 against Texas.
Judge underwent a CT scan on Thursday and had an MRI earlier in the week when he met with a specialist. The Yankees initially said Judge had shoulder soreness before clarifying the injury was to a rib on his right side, which was first revealed when Judge underwent testing on Monday, the team’s off day.
Including a stint on the COVID-19 injured list in July 2021, Judge is on the IL for the 10th time since debuting Aug. 13, 2016. He missed 45 games with a fractured right wrist in 2018, 54 games with a strained left oblique in 2019 and 42 games with a fractured toe in 2023 after crashing into a wall while making a catch at Dodger Stadium.
Judge has a rib injury for the second time in his career.
The 34-year-old is hitting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBI. But he has just one homer in his last 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.
Rangers’ lineup gets boost: Corey Seager was activated from the injured list Friday after the slumping five-time All-Star shortstop missed 19 games for the Texas Rangers because of lower back inflammation.
Seager went into the Rangers’ series opener against Cleveland mired in a career-worst 0-for-27 slump that included 11 strikeouts. The two-time World Series MVP was hitless in his previous seven games, also a career long, since an RBI single on May 6 at Yankee Stadium after he hit a home run earlier in that game.
Texas also activated outfielder Wyatt Langford, who had missed 39 games since going on the injured list April 22 because of a right forearm strain.
Utility man Cody Freeman and outfielder Alejandro Osuna were optioned to Triple-A Round Rock to make room on the roster.
National League
San Francisco 18, Chicago Cubs 3: Matt Chapman hit his fourth career grand slam in the fourth inning and added a three-run shot to cap San Francisco’s seven-run sixth inning and the Giants pounded the slumping Chicago Cubs 18-3 on Friday.
Willy Adames and Casey Schmitt each added a pair of home runs as the Giants dealt the Cubs their 19th loss in 25 games. Jonah Cox had a solo shot among three hits.
Schmitt finished with four hits, hitting his second homer of the game and team-leading 15th off Chicago catcher Carson Kelly, who pitched the ninth.
Cards activate Nootbar: St. Louis outfielder Lars Nootbaar was activated from the 60-day injured list in time to make his season debut in left field as the Cardinals begin a weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds.
Nootbaar, 28, had surgery on both of his heels in the offseason and has not played in the majors this season.
He is a career .242 hitter. Last season in 135 games, he hit .234 with 13 home runs and 48 RBIs.
In other moves, the Cardinals optioned infielder Thomas Saggese to Triple A-Memphis and recalled right-handed pitcher Matt Svanson from Memphis.
St. Louis also placed reliever Ryan Fernandez on the 15-day IL for low back pain.