What happened: Aaron Judge has no date set to have his fractured right rib re-imaged, manager Aaron Boone said, leaving the Yankees unable to project when their best hitter returns. New York went without a hit until at least the fifth inning for a third straight game and has now gone four weeks since Judge last appeared. With Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham also unavailable, the lineup has thinned considerably.
Why it matters: Judge's absence has hollowed out an offense that led the league in home runs and ranked near the top in OPS and runs while he played. The drop-off raises the stakes on every game the Yankees play shorthanded, and it puts pressure on first baseman Ben Rice, who had been hitting directly around Judge during an MVP-caliber first half. Boone framed the stretch as a test of the team's depth.
By the numbers: Since June 1, the Yankees rank tied for sixth in homers but 19th in runs scored and 22nd in OPS, and they are 7-for-72 with runners in scoring position since June 18. New York is 12-12 across the four weeks without Judge. Ben Rice carried a 1.056 OPS in 54 games before the injury but has posted a .686 OPS in 23 games since, including a recent 2-for-28 slide.
What to watch: Watch for when the Yankees schedule Judge's next rib imaging, the first marker toward a possible return, and whether Rice can break out of his slump as the offense leans on him in the meantime.