Aaron Judge was finally cleared for light baseball activities earlier this week, much to the relief of the New York Yankees and their loyalists. The veteran slugger’s power hitting is exactly what the struggling Yankees’ offense needs amid their rough stretch, as they have lost five of their last nine games. As Judge nears his return, an MLB insider has raised a major question about his abilities post-recovery.

“If you’re Aaron Judge and you do what you do for a living, which is hit baseballs a really long way, is there any more worrisome injury than a broken rib?” Jayson Stark wondered on Foul Territory.

“And don’t you have to be extremely careful, patient about rehabbing an injury like that? And that’s obviously what, what’s happening. It’s what he’s doing. It’s what his team is encouraging him to do. But I don’t think they know exactly what life is like on the other side.”

After suffering a stress fracture in his upper right rib for the second time in his career, Judge’s recovery has been slow. In 2019, he fractured his upper rib while making a diving play, similar to what happened this year. At the time, Judge was also diagnosed with a partially collapsed lung. Fortunately, his lungs are intact this time.

Due to the injury, the 3x AL MVP has not been in the lineup since May 31. The Yankees’ pitching is already postseason-worthy, with Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler, and Max Fried heading the rotation. However, the same cannot be said for the offense.

During Judge’s absence, the Yankees’ offense failed to put enough runs on the scoreboard. In the last ten games, the Yankees scored five or more runs only twice. In terms of hitting average (.231), they are also one of the worst teams (rank 28) in the league.

So, the Yankees are hoping that the All-Star, who has registered 385 homers with the team in his career, will come to their rescue. Judge also has spoken positively about his return.

“Oh, I’ll be back this season. I don’t know why I wouldn’t be,” Judge said before the final game against the St. Louis Cardinals, per Talkin’ Yanks. “That was always the plan to come back. Sooner than later, definitely. But I never had a thought of not playing this year.”

But the real question, according to Stark, is: Will he be the same?

Injuries have a widespread impact on players and their performances post-recovery. MLB has witnessed its fair share of players never returning to their pre-injury form and eventually ending their careers. Dustin Pedroia’s spikes-up collision with Manny Machado in 2017 caused a severe cartilage tear in his left knee. Though he tried to return to playing, multiple surgeries, including a knee replacement, forced him to retire in 2021.

Judge was already struggling at the plate before he landed on the IL. Hitting .248 this season, he has recorded 17 homers in 59 games. It is nowhere near his MVP-winning performance from last season. Only time will tell whether he will regain his dominance once recovered.