Aaron Judge injury might lead Yankees to big in-division trade

Once again, the injury bug has stung the New York Yankees' best player when he was on a roll.

Aaron Judge will miss at least the next 4-6 weeks due to a stress fracture in his ribcage.

The three-time American League MVP is Aaron Boone's offensive catalyst, and with Giancarlo Stanton also out, the Bronx Bombers will need someone else to pick up the slack.

Considering that, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report believes the Yankees could buy low on Baltimore Orioles slugger Taylor Ward.

New York Yankees should make a run at Taylor Ward after Aaron Judge injury

“Ward is another righty-hitting outfielder who typically prioritizes power, averaging 29.1 home runs per 162 games between 2022 and 2025,” Rymer wrote. “He’s since thrown his weight behind getting on base, which he’s done at a .404 clip this year.”

Of course, Ward isn't Judge, and he's struggled to find his groove in Baltimore after raking 36 homers last season for the Los Angeles Angels.

He's slashing .260/.404/.357 with a .760 OPS and just two home runs in Maryland this season.

That said, he can get on base, and he might benefit from playing in a hitter-friendly ballpark like Yankee Stadium to get those power numbers back up.

The Orioles are sitting on a 30-33 record, so they're technically not out of the race yet. However, they've struggled mightily away from home, and with Ward on the final year of his contract, he'd be a no-brainer trade candidate.

In-division trades are rare, but there are precedents. The Yankees don't need to sell the farm to get him, especially with Judge due to return at one point.

Still, they're just 0.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot in the AL East, so they can't afford to rest on their laurels.