As the struggling New York Yankees continue plummeting down the AL East standings, they’re seemingly only days away from getting Aaron Judge back in the lineup.
Whether or not that’s a good thing remains to be seen.
Trust us, that’s not a knock against Judge, especially not when he’s on pace for his third MVP in four years. Judge hit the injured list over a week ago batting .342 with 37 home runs, 85 RBIs, and a career-high 1.160 OPS. Assuming his elbow injury doesn’t linger and sap his power, Judge could become the first player with consecutive 50-home run seasons since Sammy Sosa nearly 25 years ago.
Yet, Yankees fans may not want to jump for joy just yet. Judge isn’t coming back from a stomach bug or a broken fingernail. He’s currently on the IL with an elbow injury, and the Yankees can’t afford to have Judge suffer a setback because he returned too quickly.
Are the Yankees rushing Aaron Judge back from his elbow injury?
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has insisted for over a week that Judge wouldn’t be out long with an elbow injury. That timetable certainly appears true; Newsday reported that Judge took live batting practice in Tampa this past weekend and could be back in the Yankees’ lineup on Tuesday night against the Rangers.
With that said, it still feels way too early for Judge to return. Even if Judge isn’t a pitcher throwing 99 mph, he’s still susceptible to the various injuries that can arise when a baseball player rushes through an elbow recovery.
The Yankees also still haven’t explained what their strategy is regarding Judge playing the outfield, other than that Judge will likely resume throwing next week. That would hint the Yankees will start Judge at DH, though Giancarlo Stanton is entrenched at DH and hasn’t played the outfield since 2023.
116 MPH exit velocity on this 3-run BLAST by Giancarlo Stanton! pic.twitter.com/cSxvJnUyY6
— MLB (@MLB) August 2, 2025
But wait, you might be thinking that the Yankees could simply platoon Judge and Stanton. First off, the thought of the Yankees platooning Judge is completely inane. Secondly, Stanton has quietly recorded nine home runs, 26 RBIs, and a .846 OPS since returning in late June. Why would Boone even consider taking him out of the lineup?
As for the idea that Judge could move to first base, keep in mind that he’s never played first base at any level. The same is true for Stanton, and Boone hasn’t hinted at center fielder Cody Bellinger moving back to first.
So, unsurprisingly, the Yankees are in a situation where their lack of planning could hurt their dwindling playoff chances. Playing Judge in the outfield runs the risk of him hurting his elbow even further, and putting him at DH means Stanton — who has an extensive history of lower body and soft tissue injuries — might need to dig his outfield glove out of storage.
You might want to hold off on buying those Yankees playoff tickets. If things continue as they are, then there won’t be much reason to even tune in come mid-September.