Aaron Judge's Bold Claim Doesn't Remove Yankees Concerns

New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge has finally been cleared to resume light baseball activities. That's fantastic news. Judge also claimed that he will return in 2026. Even better.

But how much faith should we place in Judge's declaration? And what are the chances that the Captain is 100 percent again at any point this year?

The Yankees desperately need Judge — as well as Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger — back. Their offense has been suffering, and while the trade deadline acquisitions of Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos were nice, they don't solve everything. Not even close.

New York has actually been getting solid starting pitching. Its bullpen has been good, too. The defense has been thoroughly impressive, especially with 21-year-old wonderkid George Lombard Jr. now patrolling shortstop.

The offense, however, has been nothing short of a cataclysmic disaster.

Judge last played on May 31. Stanton has been out even longer, having been sidelined since late April. Bellinger hasn't played since July 25 and is expected to be on the shelf at least through the end of the month.

Yes, Stanton appears to be nearing a return, and Bellinger is looking great in his rehab. But the million-dollar question is whether or not Judge will legitimately be back in the fold.

You're probably looking at a mid-to-late September return for Judge if he does, in fact, come back. Renowed sports doctor Jesse Morse isn't even entirely convinced that the three-time AL MVP will actually return.

Do I think Judge would issue such a bold proclamation if he weren't 100 percent positive he would be back? Probably not, but he's a professional athlete. He's a competitor. He wants to return to the field, so that could just be his heart talking.

Now, I will say that the Yankees allowing Judge to speak to the media for the first time in ages is significant. It could mean they feel he is making enough progress to actually get back in the batter's box at some point before the playoffs.

So, that's definitely positive. But you can't help but have some trepidation based on New York's recent injury history.

Let's face it: the Yankees have not exactly been the most fortunate ballclub when it comes to health. The 2026 campaign is the quintessential example of that.

Gerrit Cole missed the first couple of months. Max Fried missed a chunk of time. Carlos Rodon has barely pitched. Stanton made it through one month. Judge and Bellinger are both out. Trent Grisham was sidelined for a bit, as well.

So until we actually see Judge back in action, there is reason for caution.

Judge is recovering from a rib stress fracture. It's not like he had a sprained thumb. This was a fairly serious injury, and it also isn't like it happened in February or March.

The 34-year-old doesn't have a ton of time to rehab and get himself prepared for the waning moments of the regular season. It's a race to the finish line here, and Judge has to carefully work his way back at a modest pace.

There is no question that Wednesday's revelation resulted in a collective sigh of relief across the Bronx. But are the Yankees out of the woods just yet? Absolutely not.