The New York Yankees may be familiar with a good ol’ fashioned Aaron Judge injury saga, but they’re certainly not fond of it. With Judge’s availability up in the air again, the Bronx Bombers have the spotlight shining on Ben Rice with the intensity of a thousand suns. It’s not an ideal situation for the youngster in his breakout moment.

Rice has been the Yankees’ best player this season, and that’s not really up for debate. He’s rocking an OPS+ of 187, top marks on the team, and matching Judge himself with 17 home runs. The trick will be maintaining those All-Star-level numbers without protection from Judge in the lineup. And it’s not clear when that will be back.

Aaron Judge injury update: Complete diagnosis coming via specialist

UPDATE: Judge will miss four to six weeks at least after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his ribs.

Judge had an MRI on Wednesday and an X-ray and CT scan on Thursday as the Yankees look for what Aaron Boone called a “complete diagnosis,” per Bryan Hoch.

Judge is out of the lineup while he deals with a bone bruise in his ribs. But even that diagnosis is hardly sufficient.

Initially it was shoulder soreness nagging him, but scans revealed the issue with his ribs, which impacted his swing and caused the shoulder issue. It’s all a complex puzzle the Yankees are still trying to figure out. Unfortunately, the mystery does come with significant reason for anxiety. NY is turning to a specialist: Dr. Gregory J. Pearl. That alone is a worry because he specializes in thoracic outlet syndrome. That’s the last thing the Yankees need Judge to be dealing with.

What is thoracic outlet syndrome?

Thoracic outlet syndrome comes down to the compression of nerves or blood vessels in the thoracic outlet—the area between the neck and shoulder— causing shoulder and neck pain. It’s possible the swelling in Judge’s ribs could be causing problems with his thoracic outlet.

MLB.com Anthony Castrovince wrote a handy FAQ on thoracic outlet syndrome, focusing on how it impacts pitchers. But it can sideline position players as well.

The important part is that a diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome could require surgery. And that would end Judge’s season.

The pressure on Ben Rice to perform in Aaron Judge’s absence

Judge missed Thursday’s 2-1 win over the Guardians, his third game out of the lineup. Rice went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. There’s no need to overreact there. He had a hit in each of the first two games Judge missed.

Still, there’s going to be more pressure than ever on him with both Judge and Giancarlo Stanton out of the lineup. Rice has spent most of this season attached at the hip to Judge in the Yankees’ lineup, whether setting up or cleaning up. We can’t apply all of his success on his proximity to Judge, but it certainly hasn’t hurt him.

There’s also a different weight on your shoulders when you have to be the guy. Judge has carried that weight, but he’s had to prove his ability to do so during 11 years of experience in the big leagues. Rice is in his third year in the majors and his second as an everyday player.

Can he keep playing at an MVP level if Judge is out for an extended stretch, perhaps even the rest of the season? The Yankees need Rice to be up for the challenge if they want to remain contenders.

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