While MLB fans and teams are all disappointed by the suspended season, the extra time off to rest and recover is exactly what New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge needed. He needed it more than anyone realized, revealing on Friday that he suffered a collapsed lung in addition to a stress fracture in his rib.
Judge spoke to reporters after reviewing his CT scans with the team. The test, which he underwent on Friday, determined that the stress fracture is showing slight improvements. The All-Star outfielder also surprised reporters by disclosing that the results showed his pneumothorax, commonly known as a collapsed lung, completed healed.
The news that he suffered a collapsed lung was never disclosed, but it’s not known if the CT scans revealed it or if the team just didn’t disclose the injury when they announced the stress fracture in his rib. Fortunately, the lung has healed and it won’t be limiting Judge’s rehabilitation and recovery as he tries to prepare for the season.
Judge will undergo another CT scan in two weeks, which will prove the team with another update on where he stands in his recovery. As long as he continues to make progress, the star outfielder should avoid surgery to repair the fracture.
He appeared in just 102 games last season as injuries derailed his 2019 campaign. Given the 2020 MLB season may not start until July, with May the best-case scenario, Judge could fully recover from the injury without missing any games.