Aaron Judge got cleared for light activity after doctors re-imaged his fractured rib Tuesday. The Yankees star has been sidelined since May 31 and won't play games yet, but the imaging showed enough progress that he can ramp up his rehab work.
Judge sounded confident about his timeline. He told reporters he plans to return this season, which matters because the Yankees need him. Missing two months of games puts real pressure on New York's playoff push, and Judge returning anywhere close to full strength becomes critical down the stretch.
The re-imaging is the real news here. It means the rib is healing as expected, and the medical staff isn't worried about setbacks. Light activity is the next step, which means controlled baseball movements, probably some batting practice soon, before he gets back to games. If the healing stays on track, we could see him return within weeks rather than months.
The confidence is warranted but worth monitoring. Rib injuries linger in baseball. One wrong swing or collision and he's back where he started. Still, Judge's prognosis just got brighter, and that changes the shape of New York's season.