New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge sustained a flexor strain in his right elbow, placing him on the 10-day injured list. Manager Aaron Boone confirmed the injury after Saturday’s 9-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankee Stadium.
Judge’s scan revealed no damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, and he will not need surgery. Once healthy enough to return, Judge is expected to serve as the Yankees’ DH.
“I never had any really elbow issues or anything like that,” Judge said. “You never know what you’re kind of getting into, but I’m glad it’s just it is what it is.”
Yankees make moves during challenging stretch
The Yankees officially moved Judge to the injured list on Sunday morning. They brought up left-hander Brent Headrick from Triple-A and added Amed Rosario, who was traded from the Nationals on Saturday, to the active roster.
Judge injured his elbow during the sixth inning on Tuesday against the Blue Jays while attempting to throw out Davis Schneider at home plate. Schneider scored on a single by George Springer. After showing signs of discomfort an inning later, Judge stayed in the game and played the following two games against Toronto and Philadelphia.
Before today’s 4-3 win over the Phillies, the Yankees had lost seven of their last 10 games. Since June 13, the Yankees have gone 14-23 and have dropped out of first place in the AL East. The Toronto Blue Jays currently lead the Yankees by 5.5 games.
Shifting roles in Aaron Judge’s absence
The Yankees named Judge the captain before entering the 2023 season. He leads MLB with a .342 batting average and 1.160 OPS. With 37 home runs and 85 RBIs, Judge ranks second and is the favorite to win his third AL MVP in four years.
“They’re going to be just fine,” Judge said. “The guys are going to step up. I think that’s what it comes down to.”
Manager Boone spoke with Giancarlo Stanton, the team’s primary DH, about Stanton potentially returning to the outfield to make room for Judge upon his return, despite not having played there since the 2023 season.
"Whatever is going to put us in the best opportunity to win for all circumstances, I believe that’s going to be for me to be in the outfield,” Stanton said. “I’ll be working out there this coming week and be ready when needed.”
Yankees projected lineup
- Trent Grisham, CF
- Cody Bellinger, RF
- Ben Rice / Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
- Giancarlo Stanton, DH
- Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B
- Jasson Domínguez, LF
- Anthony Volpe, SS
- Austin Wells, C
- Ryan McMahon, 3B