Aaron Judge headed to injured list, but Yankees and their captain avoid worst-case scenario

NEW YORK – Forced to send Aaron Judge to the injured list, the Yankees still received very good news Saturday afternoon on their MVP captain’s aching right elbow.

Judge is dealing with a flexor tendon strain, but an MRI revealed that the ulnar collateral ligament is fine.

"If they'll let me, I'll start DH-ing once this 10-day (IL stint) is up,'' Judge told reporters, including the YES Network. "If I can hit, get me out there.''

According to manager Aaron Boone, the slugging right fielder won’t be throwing for the next 10-14 days, though he’ll be able to resume swinging a bat in the next few days.

Boone confirmed it's possible that Judge could return immediately after his 10-day IL stint.

“All in all, good news,’’ Boone told reporters following a 9-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankee Stadium.

“Because, I think all of us kind of feared the worst,’’ said Boone, a reference to reconstructive “Tommy John’’ surgery that would’ve ended Judge’s season – and very possibly the Yanks’ season with it.

Yankees' alignment without Aaron Judge

Jul 30, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) with Philadelphia Phillies first base Bryce Harper (3) on first base after his single during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

But when Judge returns, he’ll strictly be a designated hitter for an unspecified time, which directly impacts Giancarlo Stanton, who is solely a DH.

Due to Judge’s situation, Boone said he’s already spoken with Stanton about the possibility of playing some outfield.

Stanton was receptive toward working as an outfielder in the coming days, preparing to be an occasional right field option once Judge returns to the lineup.

"Whatever's going to put us in the best opportunity to win,'' said Stanton, telling reporters he'll be "ready'' when needed as an outfielder, though he hasn't played defensively since 2023, when he made 33 outfield appearances.

Stanton also homered again Saturday, and over his last 12 games he’s batting .350 (14-for-40) with six home runs and 13 RBI.

Currently, the Yankees have enough to cover their outfield with Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Jasson Dominguez on a daily basis.

In the interim, the Yankees could recall right-handed hitting outfielder Everson Pereira from Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he's posted an .869 OPS in 67 games with 19 homers and 52 RBI.

Or the Yankees could promote lefty-hitting prospect Spencer Jones, who has mashed in his first 19 games at Triple-A with a .400 batting average, 13 homers, 25 RBI and a 1.407 OPS.

Jones did not play Friday night for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, due to back spasms.

Yankees' Aaron Judge wanted to avoid IL stint

Judge first experienced elbow discomfort on a throw home Tuesday night in Toronto, on an RBI single by George Springer. He noticeably winced again on a later throw but had publicly insisted he was fine.

Having informed the organization of his situation, Judge hoped Thursday’s team off day would be enough to remedy matters.

But when Judge was noticeably compromised on his throws during Friday’s 12-5 loss to the Phillies, the decision was made to send him for an MRI on Saturday morning.

Until that point, Judge was reluctant to enter an MRI tube and wanted desperately to avoid an IL stint.

"I was pretty adamant about playing (Friday),’’ said Judge, but it “came to a point where I didn’t want to hurt the team'' since he couldn't throw beyond 60 feet.

“You get upset. You feel like you’re letting the team down, letting the fans down, especially in an important time of the year,’’ said Judge, with the Yankees’ now straining to maintain their AL wild card status, five days ahead of MLB's trade deadline.

Judge has already received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to promote healing, and now he’ll have a couple of down days before resuming his swings.

“And then we’ll see where we are when we get to that 10-day mark,’’ Boone said of Judge’s activation, which would be Aug. 5 at Texas at the earliest.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Aaron Judge headed to injured list, but Yankees and their captain avoid worst-case scenario