Aaron Judge Sends Troubling Message to Yankees Teammates Amid Losing Streak
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has been on the injured list since June 5 with a stress fracture in his rib. The superstar slugger believes he suffered the injury April 26, but attempted to play through it for the good of the team.
Since Judge's first missed game on June 2, the Yankees have gone 12-14. They are currently on a six game losing streak, first swept by the Boston Red Sox and are on the verge of being swept by the Detroit Tigers.
The lineup clearly misses Judge's production at the top of the order. In 59 games this season, the 34-year-old slashed .248/.375/.533 for a .908 OPS. He mashed 17 home runs and attained 38 RBIs.
Since June 2, New York's lineup has put 110 runs across. That ranks 19th in MLB, and they have been especially cold lately. Dating back to the start of the losing streak on Thursday, their 35 runs scored ranks 28th.
It seems as though the majority of the Yankee order has been struggling lately, even the team's next-best hitters in Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger.
Now deeply mired in a slide, Judge gave an update on his injury status as well as send a message to his teammates. Reported by Gary Phillips of NY Daily News, Judge said that there has been "a little lack of focus."
Aaron Judge said he'll wait until reimagining to comment on his injury status.
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) July 1, 2026
Asked about the #Yankees' recent struggles, Judge said, "Well, it's not great." He feels there's been "a little lack of focus."
"We just gotta dial it in," he added, but he's confident the offense… https://t.co/Ak1xZCfJeO
The quote is sort of bizarre, seeing as Judge is usually silent about how his teammates are performing. It serves to highlight the severity of the losing streak.
The injury update he gave was not reassuring either. It could be weeks before the star outfielder gets imaging on his ribs again. After that he will need a ramp-up and a rehab assignment for sure. There is no timetable for his return.
While Judge continues to recover, the rest of the Yankee bats need to re-focus and start putting some runs on the board. The effort will start Wednesday in the final game of the series against the Tigers.
They will face right-hander Troy Melton (4-1, 2.39 ERA) and will send Will Warren (7-3, 3.75 ERA) to the mound in hopes of stopping the losing streak.
Related: Yankees' Aaron Boone Delivers Reason For Spencer Jones' Removal From Lineup
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This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 12:42 PM.