Aaron Judge could be broken: Prediction sparks serious concern for the New York Yankees
Questions are emerging about the level Judge will be able to reach in his return.
The New York Yankees have finally received the news they had been waiting for over the past three months: Aaron Judge is back. The captain returned to the lineup after a lengthy injury absence, restoring hope to a franchise trying to build momentum heading into the postseason. However, his return has also raised questions about whether he will be able to regain his best form during the most important stretch of the season.
Judge had not played since May 31 , when he was injured against the Athletics, forcing the Yankees to spend much of the summer without their biggest offensive star. While his return is a major boost for New York, a former Most Valuable Player believes it will be difficult for him to perform at his usual elite level for the remainder of the season.
Joey Votto questions Aaron Judge’s return
Former Major League first baseman Joey Votto weighed in on the Yankees slugger’s situation and warned that it is unlikely he will be fully recovered this season.
“I think there’s a pretty good chance he’s not coming back at 100%,” he said, per MLB Now. “The timing is perfect in terms of giving him some runway before the playoffs. In 2012, I injured my knee a couple times, and I came back somewhere around this time, and I found that it was the right amount of time to prepare for our playoff run, but in reality, I probably wasn’t at my best until 2013. So he may not be his best until 2027.”
Even with that warning, Votto did not hold back in praising the Yankees captain.
“This is a common habit of — especially the star players — the players that need to be on the field for their team to be successful, and there’s no question about it, Aaron Judge is the most important player in Major League Baseball. I’ll quietly say I think he’s the greatest hitter of all time,” Votto added. “But if he doesn’t come back, the Yankees, I don’t think, stand any chance going forward, certainly not this year.”
The former MVP’s comments reflect the enormous responsibility that will rest on Judge’s shoulders over the coming weeks. His performance could ultimately determine how far New York can go in October .
Before suffering the injury, the outfielder was hitting .248 with a .375 on-base percentage, .533 slugging percentage, a .908 OPS, 17 home runs, 10 doubles, and 38 RBIs in 59 games.
The contrast with his 2025 campaign is striking. That season, he produced one of the best years of his career, posting a .331/.457/.688 slash line, a 1.145 OPS, 53 home runs, 30 doubles, two triples, and 114 RBIs across 152 games.
For that reason, while fans expect Judge to immediately return to dominating opposing pitchers, the reality is that the 34-year-old slugger may need several weeks to regain his timing and top form.
New York owns an 81-62 record , good enough for second place in the American League Eas t, trailing only the Tampa Bay Rays (85-58) .
The Boston Red Sox (80-65) remain close in the division race, while the Toronto Blue Jays (72-73) and Baltimore Orioles (70-75) round out the standings.
Across Major League Baseball, the Yankees currently hold the fifth-best record, behind only the Milwaukee Brewers (89-56), Los Angeles Dodgers (87-57), Atlanta Braves (85-59), and the Rays.
With Judge back in the lineup, all eyes will be on his performance as the Yankees open a home series against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium, before hosting the New York Mets for another crucial three-game series.
