Former Yankees Star Reveals The Ultimate Trade Target Amid Aaron Judge Injury

Aaron Judge (Image Credit: Getty Images)

Former Yankees Star Reveals The Ultimate Trade Target Amid Aaron Judge Injury

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports
By Paranjoy Goswami | Last updated Jun 6, 2026 1:40 PM ET

The New York Yankees took a huge blow earlier this week as Aaron Judge joined the IL with a first-rib stress fracture. The Yankees slugger enjoyed a wonderful start to the season, but he ended the month of May in a massive slump. Despite the subdued performance, not having Judge in the lineup could be devastating for the team.

Former New York Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez wants the team to make a trade deal to compensate for the loss of Aaron Judge. He named Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena as the ideal replacement for the three-time MVP. Aside from his on-field credentials, Pena also possesses the tenacity and leadership quality to fill the void left by the absence of Judge.

“I like a guy like Jeremy Peña. The shortstop… Who’s a world champion, a Gold Glove winner, and an A+ individual. Character just like Aaron Judge… That’s exactly what I think I would do if I was the Yankees,” A-Rod said in an interview with ‘First Things First’ from FS1.

Jeremy Peña sends this ball a LONG way pic.twitter.com/JJdFlqSHYE
— MLB (@MLB) May 30, 2026

Pena is arguably the best shortstop in the American League this year. The Astros made a terrible start to the season, however, with Pena spending a month on the IL. He has 1.4 bWAR from 27 games with a .308/.364/.449 slash line and a 127 OPS+.

Aaron Judge Not Putting Timeline On Return To Yankees Lineup

Aaron Judge is not willing to put a timeline on his return to the New York Yankees lineup. The three-time MVP believes that accurately predicting a return from injury is not really possible. He still expects to make as swift a recovery as possible.

“I don’t like talking timetables,” Judge told reporters at Yankee Stadium on Friday afternoon. “That stuff’s all made up. You never know what’s going to happen.”

“We’ll take a little time, get back healthy, and get back to it,” he added.

Aaron Judge wouldn't place a timeline on when he expects to return, per @BrendanKutyNJ. Judge believes he initially hurt himself diving for a ball in the Houston series in late April pic.twitter.com/UraLb71t51
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 5, 2026

A first-rib stress fracture generally needs a recovery period of four to six weeks. However, Aaron Judge could stay on the sidelines much longer if the injury does not heal as expected.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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