Aaron Judge isn’t in the Yankees’ starting lineup, as manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including YES Network’s Jack Curry, NJ Advance Media’s Max Goodman, and the New York Post’s Joel Sherman) that the superstar is undergoing testing on what Boone described as an “elbow issue.” Judge had some difficulty making throws from right field in yesterday’s 12-5 loss to the Phillies, so the scans were ordered to examine what exactly is wrong with the reigning AL MVP’s right arm.
It appears as though the injury initially took place in Tuesday’s 5-4 win over the Blue Jays, as Judge was seen grimacing after making a throw from deep right field. Boone said Judge seemed to be feeling fine after Thursday’s off-day, yet the discomfort resurfaced during Friday’s game.
More will be known when the results of the tests are in, and Boone didn’t comment on the seriousness of the potential injury. Needless to say, the Yankees and their fans are dearly hoping that Judge’s elbow doesn’t have any structural damage, as a significant injury would be devastating to New York’s postseason chances, let alone its chances of a return trip to the World Series.
Judge is in the midst of yet another incredible season, as he leads the majors in all three slash categories (.342/.449/.711), hits (129), total bases (268), and both fWAR (7.2) and bWAR (6.8). Judge has an unreal 208 wRC+, which would be tied for 15th on the all-time single-season wRC+ list. It would also mark the third time in the last four seasons that Judge has topped the 200 wRC+ mark, following his 206 wRC+ in 2022 and his 219 wRC+ in 2024. Those other two seasons saw Judge win AL MVP honors, and he and the Mariners’ Cal Raleigh are far and away the top two favorites for this year’s award.
A stint on the injured list could throw a wrench into the MVP race, but more importantly, into the Yankees’ hopes of contention. New York’s once-healthy lead in the AL East has been erased by a 14-22 record over its last 36 games, and a subsequent surge by the Blue Jays has elevated Toronto to both the best record in baseball and 5.5-game advantage over the Yankees in the AL East. The Yankees are still the top AL wild card team, though their 56-47 record doesn’t provide much cushion over the Rangers, whose 54-50 record leads the list of American League clubs below the playoff line.
A day-to-day type of injury for Judge would therefore still hamper the Yankees, even if it naturally represents the best-case scenario in the bigger picture. The Bronx Bombers’ next off-day isn’t until August 7, so the team doesn’t even have the benefit of a break in the schedule to give Judge some built-in rest. If the soreness persists for Judge, a 10-day IL stint might be in the cards for precautionary reasons, even if the scans come back clean.
On paper, the Yankees have enough depth to manage this scenario. Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Jasson Dominguez become the everyday outfield trio, and Giancarlo Stanton and Ben Rice split the DH at-bats, with potentially a new right-handed hitting infield type also added to the depth chart to bring more balance to a lineup that would tilt even further to the left if Judge is sidelined. This is probably enough to get the team by over a short-term absence for Judge, and perhaps the one silver lining to the situation is that it came in advance of the trade deadline, so the front office can adjust their buying plans if Judge will indeed miss time.
That said, obviously there’s no way to actually replace a talent like Judge. If he is forced to miss an extended amount of time, it isn’t a reach to suggest that the injury could torpedo New York’s season. While the Yankees have some of the best overall offensive numbers of any team in baseball, Judge is such a singular focal point within the lineup that losing him would suddenly put the spotlight on the more inconsistent nature of New York’s other hitters.