MLB Announces Decision After Aaron Judge News

Daniel Kucin Jr&period;-Imagn Images

MLB Announces Decision After Aaron Judge News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Tate Mosher | Last updated Jul 10, 2026 4:18 PM ET

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge was voted in by the fans to play in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. However, the superstar outfielder has been hurt since early June and has remained out of action since.

Now in his age-34 season, Judge was having a bit of a down season for his sky-high standards. In 59 games, he slashed .248/.375/.533 for a .908 OPS. He was able to mash 17 home runs and collect 38 RBIs.

Judge has been on the injured list since June 5 with a broken rib on his right side. The outfielder thinks that he suffered the injury in an April 26 contest against the Houston Astros while trying to make a catch in the outfield.

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99)© John Jones-Imagn Images

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Thursday that Judge will be re-imaged over the All-Star Break. It is unclear yet when exactly he could return, although sometime in August seems a good guess.

For the moment, New York has been sticking with the 23-year-old former top prospect Jasson Domínguez in right field. He has produced a .676 OPS with four home runs and 10 RBIs in 33 games played this year.

With Judge unable to play in the All-Star Game, it will be Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela taking his place. The gold glove caliber defender has also been one of the few bright spots for an anemic Red Sox offense.

Nick Martinez and Ceddanne Rafaela have been named to the AL All-Star team!

They replace Ranger Suarez and Aaron Judge on the roster. pic.twitter.com/gvDf1ISH0Z
— MLB (@MLB) July 10, 2026

Rafaela has incredible range in center field, accruing 12 outs above average this season. That ranks in the 99th percentile, as does his 12 fielding run value (h/t Baseball Savant).

His offensive numbers have been up as well. In 87 games, the 25-year-old is slashing .283/.330/.438 for a .768 OPS. He has hit eight home runs, has 39 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.

Judge’s Yankees and Rafaela’s Red Sox have been trending in different directions since the latter swept the former in late June. The Red Sox have won 11 of their last 13, while the Yankees have won just three of their last 13.

Boston is still far behind in the standings at 43-48, while New York is 51-42. They are both chasing the first-place Tampa Bay Rays (54-37) in the American League East.

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

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