Aaron Judge specter looms over start of Yankees second half

As most of his teammates enjoyed a break to gear up for the second half, Aaron Judge was trying to find out how much of it he will be able to play in.The most significant item on the Yankees’ docket this week was not Cody Bellinger winning All-Star Game MVP, Ben Rice showing off his swing in the Home Run Derby or even a 2024 World Series rematch against the Dodgers that begins on Friday in The Bronx.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.

It was Judge going through a round of imaging on his right rib — nearly six weeks after doctors discovered a stress fracture — to help determine if and when he will return to the Yankees in the second half.The organization was not expecting to find a fully healed rib, but it was holding its breath nonetheless as it hoped to at least see enough improvement to allow the back-to-back AL MVP to begin mixing in some upper-body exercises after being shut down from them during his time on the injured list.“Hopefully we get some positive news there and we can start moving forward,” manager Aaron Boone said on the final day of the first half.

“But I try not to think too much about it until we hear.It’s going to be what it is.”The results, though, could have a major impact in determining the Yankees’ fate this season.

If enough healing has occurred, perhaps Judge could be back at some point in late August.If not, well, then the clock starts ticking a bit louder on the Yankees’ hope and expectation to get Judge back on the field this season.But either way, the Yankees are not going to rush Judge back too soon.“We don’t want to, because the schedule is what it is, put him in the position where we’re putting him in jeopardy, where somehow it gets worse,” GM Brian Cashman said last week.

“Because the downside of that would be a real problem, in my opinion, from what I understand.”The Yankees also know that eve...