Aaron Judge rib fracture update: Specialist confirms Yankees slugger still weeks from return

Aaron Judge’s right rib fracture is still healing and he remains sidelined, the Yankees confirmed Friday night after Texas specialist Dr. Gregory Pearl agreed with team physician Chris Ahmad’s assessment.

The Yankees moved Judge to the 60-day injured list Saturday to clear space on the 40-man roster for right-hander Bradley Hanner, whom they signed and optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

What happened to Aaron Judge’s rib?

Judge underwent re-imaging Wednesday that showed his injured right rib is healing but still needs more time. Dr. Pearl’s review Friday night matched Ahmad’s initial evaluation: the slugger isn’t ready for baseball activities yet.

Manager Aaron Boone said Saturday the pain has shifted from sharp to dull over the past couple weeks. “He needs to get to a point where he’s asymptomatic to where you really start ramping up more upper-body stuff,” Boone said after the Yankees’ rainout against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

How long has Judge been out?

Judge last played May 31 and has been on the injured list since June 5. He’s hitting .248 with 17 home runs and a .907 OPS in 59 games this season.

The Yankees are 18-20 without him, sitting 54-43 overall. Judge said Friday he “definitely” expects to return this season.

What’s next for Judge?

Boone stressed patience to avoid setbacks. “We don’t want to just prematurely start doing some things and hurt us in the long run,” Boone said.

Judge’s timetable hinges on becoming pain-free during upper-body work. The Yankees will proceed in small increments once he clears medical checks.

Rehab updates around Judge

Clarke Schmidt threw a live batting practice Saturday at Yankee Stadium, his first time facing hitters since Tommy John surgery last summer. Schmidt tossed 15 pitches-all fastballs, cutters or sinkers-to Anthony Volpe and Ali Sánchez.

Schmidt, 30, called it “nice and easy” and said he felt good moving on the mound. He plans another live session in four or five days and to add breaking balls then.

Max Fried threw 52 pitches over three innings Friday night in his first rehab start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He allowed two runs with three strikeouts and no walks.

“He looked really good,” Boone said Saturday. “I watched his whole outing. He felt really good.”

Fried’s next step will be determined by how he responds to the workload.