Latest Aaron Judge Injury Update Means Yankees Must Trade for CJ Abrams
New York Yankees fans hoping for Aaron Judge to be the club's white knight amid a seven-game losing streak will be disappointed in the latest news on the injured right fielder.
On Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone said the three-time American League MVP is a couple of weeks away from having fresh film on that fractured rib. The next day, Judge was coy about the timeline for his return.
"I'll give you a good update when we get some imaging and we'll go from there," Judge said Wednesday, according to the New York Post's Greg Joyce.
"I got nothing for you until then," Judge added, per Joyce. "You know how it goes around here, guys can feel good, feel bad, but you got to wait on imaging."
Without the captain in the lineup, the Yankees' offense is struggling. Mired in a seven-game losing streak which has dropped them 3.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East, the Yankees are just 12-15 since Judge landed on IL.
With an August return looking more likely, and with designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton still sidelined as well, it's time for general manager Brian Cashman to upgrade an offense in desperate need of power.
So that means placing a call to the Washington Nationals to inquire about shortstop CJ Abrams.
Yankees should trade for CJ Abrams
The 25-year-old shortstop hit his 18th home run of the season Tuesday night and leads all MLB shortstops with a career-high .866 OPS
Yes, Abrams is a left-handed bat at a time when the club is missing power from the right side of the lineup.
But the club has seen enough to know that Anthony Volpe isn't the long-term answer at shortstop. And as much as the Yankees love José Caballero, he's not the long-term answer either.
Abrams is a cost-controlled asset who's making just $4.2 million this season and isn't slated to reach free agency until 2029. As a result, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel rank Abrams as the No. 5 trade target ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline. He's No. 4 on The Athletic's list of the top 50 trade targets.
With injuries sidelining Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena and Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story, Abrams is clearly the top trade option for the Yankees. As a result, Cashman would likely have to part with a pair of top-100 prospects, including Single-A shortstop Dax Kilby, who's the club's No. 2 prospect overall, according to MLB Pipeline.
Cashman also might have to kick in one of this top right-handed pitching prospects, likely Elmer Rodriguez. But the GM should be able to hold on to infielder George Lombard Jr., who is the club's top-ranked prospect.
Giving up a pair of the franchise's best young players is a steep price to pay. But the Yankees need to fix their offense and stop the revolving door at shortstop. Trading for Abrams accomplishes both of those things, and a deal can't happen soon enough for a Yankees club which harbors World Series aspirations.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/yankees/onsi as Latest Aaron Judge Injury Update Means Yankees Must Trade for CJ Abrams.
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This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 10:49 AM.