Yankees Facing Troubling Development Amid Aaron Judge's Absence

The largest injury the Yankees have had to manage has been Judge's. The Yankees captain was found to have a stress fracture in his right rib in early June and has missed over a month without any baseball activity until Wednesday, when Judge was able to return to light activity.

Since Judge's absence, the Yankees' offense has stumbled without any direction from the slugging outfielder. Per Mike Petriello of MLB.com, the Yankees rank last in batting average with runners in scoring position. Even worse, the team ranks last in batting average with the bases empty.

Since June 5, when Judge was placed on the IL, the Yankees are slashing .220/.285/.389 with a .674 OPS as well as 75 home runs and 196 RBIs. In that time frame, the Yankees have stayed around a .500 level, with a 27-26 record.

Those numbers do not bode well for New York, as the club is feeling the pressure of fighting for the top spot in the AL East. In the Red Sox's last 40 games, the team has gone 32-8, climbing to just one game behind the Yankees in the division.

New York has looked to address the lack of offense in the past couple of months before Monday's trade deadline by acquiring Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos, both known for their power, then calling up their No. 1-ranked prospect George Lombard Jr. at shortstop.

While the moves may not translate to immediate wins, the Yankees have been forced to shake up the lineup as they await more news on their injured players. Hopefully the moves end up working in their favor; if not, there's a chance the Yankees may not even be part of the postseason picture.