New York Yankees outfielder and reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge will be placed on the 10-day injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Saturday following his team’s 9-4 loss to the Phillies. Boone said that tests showed no damage to Judge’s UCL and said he hopes the slugger will miss just the minimum 10 days. Upon his return, Judge will initially be the team’s DH. Judge was held out of Saturday’s lineup while he and the team awaiting imaging results for what Boone initially described as an “elbow issue.”
“I couldn’t throw. That kind of sums it up,” Judge said after the game, saying he asked the Yankees to let him DH full time before they decided on an IL stint.
Judge during Friday’s series opener against the Phillies struggled to make throws from right field, and Tuesday he was seen grimacing in apparent pain after making a throw in that game against the Blue Jays:
Boone also said that Giancarlo Stanton will begin taking reps in the outfield, but is not expected to see innings there while Judge is out.
“I’ll be ready for however it helps us win,” Stanton told reporters.
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Needless to say, the loss of Judge for any length of time is a grave blow to the Yankees. This season, Judge has positioned himself as the frontrunner to win the AL MVP for the third time in his career, though sportsbooks currently have Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh in the lead (-150 odds, per BetMGM). Through 103 games played, Judge is slashing .342/.449/.771 with 37 home runs. He leads the majors in OPS, OPS+, WAR, total bases, and hits. A significant absence on Judge’s part could quite obviously alter the Yankees’ deadline plans. Just recently, they added third baseman Ryan McMahon in a trade with the Rockies.
“They’re going to be just fine,” Judge said after the game. “Guys are going to step up.”
The 33-year-old Judge has dealt with injuries of various types throughout his 10-year career in the majors. However, he played in 158 games last season, and that’s not counting his 14 games played in the postseason as the Yankees claimed the pennant. Saturday’s absence was his first missed game of the 2025 season.
The Yankees after Saturday’s loss are 56-48 with an AL-best run differential of plus-94. They trail the first-place Blue Jays in the AL East by six games but presently occupy the top wild-card spot in the AL.