Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) runs in after the top of the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankee Stadium on July 25, 2025.
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge will be placed on the injured list with a flexor strain, manager Aaron Boone announced Saturday after his club’s 9-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankee Stadium.
Judge was held out of the lineup Saturday with what Boone called an elbow issue, and had imaging done. The all-star slugger experienced difficulty throwing balls in from the outfield Friday in the Yankees’ 12-5 loss to the Phillies. He began feeling discomfort after a throw earlier in the week, during the club’s road series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The imaging revealed that Judge’s ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is intact but strained. He is expected to return this season.
Yet the injury could not come at a worse time for the Yankees, who have sunk to six games behind the first-place Blue Jays in the American League East and are now only eight games above .500 after a 3-7 stretch.
What do we know about Judge’s injury?
Judge’s injury began on a throw-in in Toronto earlier this week. He said that he “felt a little something” trying to throw out a Blue Jays runner at the plate.
It’s normal for athletes to feel little nicks throughout their bodies over the course of the season. Judge didn’t think much of it at first.
“It zinged him,” Boone said. “It hurt.”
Asked whether Judge’s arm discomfort lingered after the throw in Toronto, Boone said he “didn’t know about that.”
“I think he was like, when not throwing and stuff, okay,” Boone said.
Judge was apparently “good to go” on New York’s off day ahead of their series against the Phillies. But on Friday night, Judge struggled to throw the ball.
“It came down to a point where, if I got to make a play for the team and not be able to do it,” Judge said, “That would kind of hurt.”
Judge’s UCL is fine. Had he continued to play, Boone said, his UCL could’ve been put in jeopardy.
Boone said that Judge was “okay” swinging the bat. The Yankees had talked about keeping Judge in the lineup as a designated hitter, but ultimately opted for an IL stint as that would only prolong Judge’s flexor tendon recovery.
How will the Yankees’ lineup be affected?
That Judge’s UCL remains fully intact is a massive sigh of relief for the Yankees, who are without their ace Gerrit Cole for the season after he underwent Tommy John surgery in March.
“Best case,” Giancarlo Stanton said.
In the immediate future, there’s no shorter way to put it: The Captain’s absence leaves an unfillable void in the Yankees’ clubhouse and lineup.
Boone said that he and Stanton — New York’s regular designated hitter — have talked about a possible move to the outfield if Judge returns as a DH. Stanton has not played a defensive position since 2023, as he navigates his own injury history.
“G will probably start to get some work out there,” Boone said. “Just to see if it needs to be an option once we get to that point when Aaron’s back.”
“Whatever’s going to put us in the best opportunity to win,” Stanton said. “I believe that’s going to be for me to be in the outfield.”
Stanton added that he would be working out in the outfield this week. He’ll be ready when he’s needed.
Judge isn’t concerned about the club’s lineup in his absence. He specifically mentioned the 2019 Yankees — who set an MLB record for the most injured players in a single season, but won 103 games for the AL East title, and advanced to the ALCS — as the blueprint for what he expected of his teammates moving forward.
“I always go back to that 2019 team,” Judge said. “I feel like everybody got banged up and we had so many guys step up for us and play bigger roles than what they signed up for.
“Guys are going to step up and do their job. That’s what it comes down to.”
When will Judge return?
If it were up to Judge, he would be DHing right now.
The Yankees expect Judge to return soon after his 10-day IL stint. Boone said that Judge would likely come back as a designated hitter, and start throwing around then. Boone expects him to get back to the outfield shortly after.
In the near future, Boone said that Judge would begin his IL stint with “a few days down” and only treatments. After that, he hopes Judge will resume swinging a bat and then “see where things are” at the 10-day mark.
Judge said he doesn’t expect to throw for 10 days to two weeks. After that, it’s all about how his throwing progression goes.
“I could be on that 15th day playing catch, and be like, ‘Wow, this feels brand new, like normal,’” Judge said. “And kind of progress from there. But they really haven’t yet set up a timeline for me on that. I was more focused about when I could get back in and start hitting.”
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