New York Yankees senior vice president and general manager Brian Cashman bolstered the lineup before the August 3 trade deadline by acquiring Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos to help offset the loss of injured players, including Aaron Judge. At the same time, however, he has not completely given up on Judge returning to the lineup this season. On Monday, Cashman offered a reality check on the uncertainty surrounding Judge’s condition while maintaining an optimistic outlook.

“We currently are still very optimistic that he’s going to return, but there are challenges with all that too,” Cashman said about Judge, per Bryan Hoch on X. “… There’s a very high likelihood that he fits the time frame to come back and join us. That’s what I’m hoping and holding onto.”

Aaron Judge has not played for the Yankees since May 31 due to a stress fracture in his ribs. The injury occurred on April 26 when he made a diving play against the Houston Astros. He played through pain for a month before going on the IL. Judge was initially placed on the 10-day IL before the Yankees moved him to the 60-day list in July.

Without Judge, the Yankees’ offense has taken a hit. They have recorded just 3.9 runs per game, and their batting average has dropped to .232. On top of that, Cody Bellinger’s hamstring strain has affected an already depleted lineup, as Giancarlo Stanton, too, is missing from the lineup due to a calf strain.

The Yankees’ lineup woes caused Brian Cashman to acquire Garcia and Ramos before the trade deadline. Still, Judge’s return remains equally important. Previous imaging showed that his ribs are healing, but the progress is not enough for him to resume baseball activities yet.

The Yankees will have a better idea of Judge’s possible return during their next round of scans. However, Cashman did not provide a date for when that is going to happen.

“We have said we’re going to re-image,” Cashman said, per Jorge Castillo of ESPN. “We’re not going to say when that’s going to come, but it’s going to help guide us clearly about where he’s at in that healing process and when we can be in a position to clear him to do more than he’s been able to do thus far because the most important aspect is providing the time to heal. But I’m not going to say when that date is going to be.”

Though Cashman chose to remain positive about the three-time AL MVP’s return, he has also noted that nothing is set in stone. So, Cashman bolstered the Yankees’ lineup before the trade deadline struck.

Yankees acquire Luis Garcia Jr. via trade

The Yankees have been inconsistent offensively this season. They want to win the World Series, but to do that, they need to improve their run production. The franchise acquired Luis Garcia Jr. from the Washington Nationals to address its offensive needs.

Batting .285 with 24 home runs and 78 RBIs, the Yankees’ new first baseman is having his best season. He also leads the National League in slugging percentage (.568) while recording an .883 OPS.

“He’s been a wrecking ball in the National League this year,” manager Aaron Boone said, per MLB.com. “He becomes an instant presence in our lineup. We’ve had our struggles offensively for a good stretch now, and we think he helps that a lot.”

In exchange for Garcia, the Yankees sent four pitchers, including Yovanny Cruz, Jake Bird, and prospects Jack Cebert and Ben Grable.

Garcia will reportedly serve as a DH or 1B against right-handed pitchers. Paul Goldschmidt and Ben Rice will split their time facing the lefties.

As the Yankees continue their postseason push, Judge’s absence only increases the pressure on the rest of the lineup to produce. Whether he returns in time to make a meaningful impact remains one of the biggest questions surrounding New York’s World Series aspirations.