Although Aaron Judge eased the New York Yankees‘ concerns with his first update after being pulled early in the final game against the Minnesota Twins, the fanbase in the Bronx remains anxious. On that note, David Cone, the five-time World Series champion (four of which came with the Yankees), revealed his own fears about Judge’s status down the home stretch of the 2026 MLB season.
With the Yankees on a day off and no news on Judge’s front, fans can’t help but let their minds run free. Of course, it doesn’t take long for them to fear the worst. During a public appearance, Cone didn’t rule out Judge sitting out the remainder of the 2026 MLB regular season.
“I’m concerned. [Judge] needs the at-bats. Lower-leg issue, calf. We just don’t know. We don’t know until we know in terms of how severe it is. Is he going to get any more at-bats before the end of the regular season? It’s a real question mark right now,” David Cone admitted during an interview on Brandon Tierney’s BT Unleashed.
Currently working as a color commentator, Cone spends a lot of time close to the Yankees. Therefore, his worries about Judge’s untimely injury perfectly reflect how most fans feel. Even if most of the statements coming out of the clubhouse are encouraging, the Pinstripers’ fanbase will hold on to its anguish. If bad news come up, at least they won’t be as heartbroken.
David Cone #36 of the New York Yankees.
Yankees hope Judge’s injury isn’t serious
It’s still too early to tell. For the time being, the Bronx Bombers remain confident, though wary. Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed the next steps for Judge after the 5-4 loss to the Twins, and that remains the plan going forward.
Based on Judge’s initial reaction, the setback appears to be mild. Judge took the matter lightly and, to some extent, seemed like he expected something like this to come up in his effort to ramp up his workload and get back into midseason rhythm.
Judge rehab-assignment leap draws critics
Skipping a rehab assignment and trying to fit weeks of spring-training preparation into the final weeks of the regular season, where every at-bat carries more weight, was always a decision that would be revisited the second adversity knocked on Judge’s door.
Guess what? Adversity is now standing on the front steps of the Yankees’ household, and it didn’t take long for fans and analysts across MLB to point to Boone and company’s decision. Regardless, the overall mood throughout the Bronx Bombers’ clubhouse remains calm. Clearly, they aren’t letting the outside noise inside the building.
Potential setbacks were always factored in when New York activated Judge off the 60-day IL. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Judge’s latest issue was unrelated to the stress fracture in his first right rib that sidelined him for months in 2026. Having an alarm go off in a different part of his body is far from ideal, but at least it may not be because he was rushed back into action.
