Kristina Roberts
The New York Yankees have been through a lot this season, and now they’ve hit another bump. Their star player, Aaron Judge, has hurt his right elbow. But even though this sounds scary, it’s not as bad as it could’ve been. The Yankees are relieved that he doesn’t need surgery, though they’ll have to figure out what to do while he recovers.
Aaron Judge, who is one of the biggest names in baseball, is the team captain and a very important player for the Yankees. He was missing from Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, and that made a lot of people wonder what was wrong. When reporters asked about it, Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone explained that Judge was having some pain in his elbow and needed to get it checked during the game.
After the Yankees lost 9-4 to the Phillies, Boone shared what the doctors found. Luckily, it’s not something too serious. Judge has a flexor strain, which means the muscles near his elbow are a bit overworked or stretched. But the good news is that there’s no big damage to the UCL (ulnar collateral ligament), which is a very important part of the elbow. If the UCL had been torn, Judge might have needed surgery and missed the rest of the season. But thankfully, that’s not the case here.
“Swinging the bat is OK. I don’t think it’s perfect, probably,” Boone said, showing that Judge can still hit the ball, even if his arm isn’t feeling 100%.
Now, Judge will need to rest for at least 10 days while his elbow gets better. The team is hoping that after this short break, he’ll be able to play again — at least as a designated hitter (DH). This means he won’t have to throw the ball, which gives his elbow more time to recover. The Yankees haven’t announced yet who will take Judge’s spot on the team while he’s healing, but they’re thinking about what to do next.
This injury happened earlier in the week during a game in Toronto. Judge made a strong throw to home plate, and that’s when he started feeling the discomfort. Later in the game, when he threw another ball back into the field, cameras caught him making a face and trying to stretch his right arm. At the time, both Boone and Judge said it was nothing serious. Judge even hit a home run the next day, which gave fans hope that everything was fine.
But sadly, the pain didn’t go away. That’s why the team had to take a closer look on Saturday. They realized that if they didn’t give Judge time to rest now, it could turn into a much bigger problem later. That’s because the flexor muscles act like a cushion for the UCL. If these muscles are injured and don’t heal properly, it can lead to a UCL tear. This kind of injury has happened to many pitchers like Jacob deGrom and Walker Buehler, and it often leads to surgery.
The Yankees decided to play it safe. They thought about letting Judge just hit without playing in the outfield, but in the end, they didn’t want to take any chances. Judge is too important to risk his health for just a few games. It’s better to let him rest and come back strong.
Aaron Boone is hopeful that Judge won’t be gone for long. He said that after some rest, Judge could come back as the DH. That way, he can still help the team with his powerful bat while giving his elbow more time to get stronger. Everyone on the team knows how much Judge means to them, and they want to make sure he gets better the right way.
The Yankees are currently not doing great in the American League East. They are six games behind the Toronto Blue Jays, and every game matters now. Losing Judge, even for a short time, is a big challenge. But the team is trying to stay positive. They believe that if he gets better quickly, he can help them fight for a spot in the playoffs.
Even though the injury is worrying, it’s not the end of the world. Many players come back from this kind of problem. What’s most important is that the team found out about it early and didn’t ignore it. Judge is a smart and experienced player. He knows his body and will take the steps needed to heal.
This situation also puts a spotlight on another player: Giancarlo Stanton. He might have to take on more responsibility while Judge is out. But Stanton has also had injury issues in the past, and he mostly plays as a designated hitter too. So, the Yankees might have to be creative with how they organize their team in the coming days. They could move players around or bring in someone from the minor leagues.
Even with these problems, the team and fans are just happy it wasn’t worse. Seeing Judge out for the whole season would’ve been heartbreaking. Now, there’s hope that he’ll be back soon and ready to help the Yankees chase victory again.
Injuries are always part of sports, and every team faces them. What matters is how a team reacts. The Yankees are choosing to be smart, protect their star player, and stay hopeful. With Judge taking time to heal and come back stronger, the team still has a fighting chance.
So, while this elbow injury has made things harder for the Yankees, it’s not the end of their season. They still have good players, a strong fan base, and plenty of games left to turn things around.
And who knows? Maybe Judge will come back swinging even harder than before.
