Over the past week, the New York Yankees have dropped two consecutive series, and the void in their lineup has never been more evident. The Yankees have been without their captain, Aaron Judge, for over a month now. They entered the off-day after slipping to second place in the AL East with a 48-38 record, and if anything, the clubhouse is in desperate need of Judge’s return. But can he return? Well, not according to this MLB insider.

“Here is the scary part, okay? Aaron Judge is not close to getting back. If you told me he played next in the middle of August or the beginning of September, that would not be a surprise,” ESPN insider Buster Olney said during his appearance on Just Baseball Media.

Judge has not played for the Pinstripes since May 31, and he was then placed on the 10-day injured list on June 5. As of now, he is recovering from a stress fracture in his right first rib.

The three-time AL MVP believes he suffered the injury while making a diving play against the Houston Astros on April 26. However, the discomfort didn’t stop him, as he played through the pain for more than a month. Eventually, the swelling and pain worsened to the point where he could no longer ignore them. The right fielder then underwent scans to assess the extent of the injury and was subsequently placed on the injured list.

Without Judge’s power bat, the Yankees have been suffering, as they hold a 12-14 record. Furthermore, they have also landed on a seven-game skid for the first time since August 2023, when they lost nine in a row. Their recent losing streak has also cost them the top spot in the AL East.

Unfortunately, even Judge has no positive updates for the Yankees. He is scheduled for another round of scans after completing four weeks on the IL.

“I got nothing for you until then,” the 34-year-old told Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “You know how it goes around here, guys can feel good, feel bad, but you got to wait on imaging.”

For now, there is no real timeline for Judge’s return. Before the injury, he was hitting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs.

The Yankees’ lineup woes do not end with Judge. Giancarlo Stanton, a key batter for the pinstripes, is also out with a right calf strain. He has been on the IL since April 28. Stanton, however, has resumed live batting practice and is working towards his return.

As a fixed timeline for these key players remains unavailable, Olney believes the Yankees have to figure it out in-house.

“So, this group of players has to figure it out,” Olney added. “They are gonna have to get more consistency out of Jazz Chisholm Jr. Ben Rice has to get back to hitting. Cody Bellinger. These guys are gonna have to work it.”

Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s season has been a series of ups and downs, as he is hitting .225 with 12 homers and has been infamously facing troubles with ABS. Meanwhile, Rice and Bellinger have been in offensive slumps.

Rice is hitting .172, going 10-for-58 in his last 15 games, while Cody Bellinger is on a hitless streak of four games. Now, that is surely not the spot the Yankees want to be in if they want their World Series dreams to come true.