MLB Injury Report: Tarik Skubal nearing return after sharp rehab start, Aaron Judge goes down with rib injury

In this week’s Injury Report, Tarik Skubal is on his way back just one month following elbow surgery after dominating in his rehab outing. The Yankees will be without reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge for at least the next 4-6 weeks. And Dylan Cease returns to the mound for the Blue Jays on Tuesday. That and more as we cover the latest relevant injury news around baseball.

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Tarik Skubal (elbow)

Incredibly, Skubal was back on the mound for his first rehab start just one month after undergoing surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow. He made that start on Sunday with High-A West Michigan, striking out six batters over five scoreless innings on 54 pitches while touching 99 mph on his fastball. There’s a very good chance Skubal is back in the Tigers’ rotation this weekend.

Aaron Judge (ribcage)

Judge had been held out of last Tuesday’s lineup and deemed day-to-day with shoulder soreness, but when it was reported he’d see a specialist, it raised cause for concern. After undergoing additional imaging, Judge was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right rib cage. There’s no timeline for a return, but the 34-year-old superstar will be reevaluated in 4-6 weeks, with full expectation that he will return sometime this season. There’s just zero clarity as to when. Judge hadn’t been off to the best start by his standards, hitting .248 with 17 homers, but it’s a huge blow to the Yankees and fantasy managers nonetheless. Spencer Jones takes his spot on the active roster, for now. But Jasson Domínguez, currently on a rehab assignment and working his way back from a shoulder injury, could be activated in the coming days.

Dylan Cease (hamstring)

Cease is ready to return after missing the last couple of weeks with a strained left hamstring. He required just one rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo, giving up five runs with six strikeouts over four innings. The 30-year-old right-hander will take the mound on Tuesday against the Phillies in Toronto. Cease was in the middle of a strong bounceback season before he was stalled with the hamstring issue, posting a 3.05 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 92 strikeouts over 62 innings.

Konnor Griffin (forearm)

It was originally thought that Griffin would only need the minimum stint on the injured list to recover from a right flexor tendon strain. After a second opinion with Dr. Keith Meister, which never tends to produce good news, Griffin will miss a bit more time than expected. How much more time he’ll miss is still up in the air, but the team is going to err on the side of caution with their 20-year-old budding star.

Bobby Witt Jr. (knee)

Witt’s status will be one to keep a close eye on. He departed Sunday’s game against the Twins in the seventh inning with right knee soreness. The issue apparently progressed throughout the game, and he was hoping to finish out the day with Monday’s off day coming, but was unable to continue. It should be considered a day-to-day situation, but Witt will undergo further evaluation leading up to Tuesday’s series opener against the Rangers.

J.P. Crawford (hand)

Crawford took a 95 mph fastball off his right hand and was removed on Friday against the Tigers. X-rays came back negative for any fractures, but after sitting out both games over the weekend, he ended up on the 10-day injured list with a right hand contusion. It seems like it will be a minimum stint for Crawford. Still, the timing isn’t great, as he was really heating up at the dish, hitting .333 with four homers over his last 11 games. Second baseman Cole Young steps into the leadoff spot in Crawford’s absence, with Colt Emerson sliding over to shortstop. Emerson missed Monday’s contest with back tightness.

Hunter Brown (shoulder)

Brown made his third rehab start on Thursday with Triple-A Sugar Land, giving up one run on three hits over 4 1/3 innings. He tossed 57 pitches, touching 98.9 mph and inducing 10 whiffs. Brown is in line for another rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday to continue building his pitch count. Barring any setbacks, Wednesday’s start should be Brown’s last rehab outing before joining the Astros rotation next week.

Max Muncy (hand)

Jacob Wilson (shoulder)

Wilson has been out for a month now with a left shoulder subluxation. He started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday and will likely need at least a handful of games before he’s ready to return. Meanwhile, the A’s got Max Muncy back from the injured list on Monday after he missed nearly six weeks with a fractured finger.

Ryan Helsley (elbow)

Helsley has progressed to facing hitters in live batting practice. He should be cleared to begin a rehab assignment following Monday’s session. Helsley has been sidelined since late April with right elbow inflammation. He’ll presumably need a handful of rehab outings before he’s ready to return.