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Aaron Judge Will Not Require Elbow Surgery; Rodón, Volpe Expected To Start 2026 On IL

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Yankees manager Aaron Boone held a press conference today and provided some notable updates about players on the roster. Outfielder Aaron Judge will not require offseason surgery on his right elbow. However, left-hander Carlos Rodón underwent a procedure to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. He will be no-throw for eight weeks and will likely miss the start of next season. Shortstop Anthony Volpe, who had shoulder surgery this week, won’t be able to hit for four months and won’t be able to dive for six months. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic was among those to relay the updates (tweet one, two and three). General manager Brian Cashman also confirmed, per Greg Joyce of The New York Post, that Volpe will indeed start the season on the injured list.

The news on Judge is obviously good. He was diagnosed with a flexor strain in July. Though his stint on the IL was minimal, he was limited to designated hitter duties in August. This was a bit awkward, as it forced Giancarlo Stanton into the field, surely more than the Yankees had planned on. Judge gradually played the outfield more throughout September and into October.

If Judge had required Tommy John surgery or some other significant elbow operation, that would have had lingering impacts into the 2026 season, though it seems Judge will be expected to be a full-time outfielder again next year. That should allow the Yankees to go into 2026 planning on having Judge in right and Stanton in the DH slot.

The outfield will still be a focus this offseason, however. Trent Grisham is an impending free agent. Cody Bellinger is going to opt out of his contract and hit the open market as well. That leaves Judge and Jasson Domínguez as the two outfield holdovers. A former top prospect, Domínguez has yet to fully break out. 2025 was his largest stretch of big league playing time. He produced roughly league average offense with poor defense.

Per Kirschner, Boone expects Domínguez to be a regular with the Yanks next year but the skipper added the caveat that it depends what moves happen this offseason. The Yanks could pursue reunions with Bellinger and/or Grisham while the free agent market also features names like Kyle Tucker, Harrison Bader and Cedric Mullins. The trade market should feature names like Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson, Adolis García and others. Per Jack Curry of the YES Network, Cashman said he would love to have Bellinger back but the Yankees haven’t had any offseason discussions yet. Per Kirschner, Cashman says that prospect Spencer Jones has also put himself in the mix for a job next year, though that also depends on what happens in the offseason.

The Rodón news is obviously less pleasant. It doesn’t appear as though he’s slated for a huge absence, but the Yanks will go into the season with a few guys on the IL. Gerrit Cole had Tommy John surgery in March of last year. He should return at some point in 2026 but Boone confirmed today, per Kirschner, that Cole would not be ready by Opening Day. Clarke Schmidt had his own TJS in July and will be out well into the 2026 campaign.

Those arms could provide nice in-season boosts to the rotation but the Yanks will have to begin the campaign without them. As of right now, the Opening Day rotation projects as Max Fried, Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren. The Yankees will presumably look to bolster that before Opening Day. It’s possible they end up with a crowded group once Rodón and Cole get back on the mound but other injuries are fairly inevitable. The free agent market is headlined by guys like Framber Valdez, Tatsuya Imai, Dylan Cease and Ranger Suárez, while the trade market could feature MacKenzie Gore, Joe Ryan and plenty others.

As for Volpe, it seems Boone still views him as the shortstop once he’s healthy. “Yeah, he’s right in the mix to do that,” Boone said today, per Kirschner. Cashman also admitted today, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, that the shoulder issue was impacting Volpe during the season.

That’s backed up by the numbers. Volpe’s defensive metrics dropped significantly this year. He had six Defensive Runs Saved and 14 Outs Above Average in 2024 but 2 DRS and -7 OAA in 2025. His offense finished in a similar spot to previous seasons but he seemed to drop off a cliff once he suffered the injury. He had a .237/.328/.456 slash and 119 wRC+ through the end of April, just a few days before injuring his shoulder. He hit .205/.255/.374 for a 74 wRC+ from the start of May onwards.

Going into 2026, the Yankees could look to external options, though there aren’t surefire answers out there. The free agent market is headlined by Bo Bichette, who is an excellent hitter but a poor defender. Guys like Ha-Seong Kim and Trevor Story could be out there via opt-outs, though there are issues there as well. Kim is coming off a poor season after recovering from shoulder surgery. Story had a bounceback year after his own injury odyssey but he’s about to turn 33 and may not opt out anyway. CJ Abrams may be available in trade but he’s not a great defender either and the bat is inconsistent.

Perhaps the Yankees will let José Caballero hold the job until Volpe is healthy. Caballero played well after being acquired at the deadline. Braden Shewmake is on the roster as depth and the Yanks could bring in some veteran utility types.

Photo courtesy of Brett Davis, Imagn Images

Yankees Notes: Judge, Bellinger, Volpe

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Aaron Judge’s massive postseason performance made it easy to forget he’s been dealing with a flexor strain in his right elbow since July. The slugger had multiple hits in all but one game across the first two rounds of the playoffs. Judge engineered a defining postseason moment in Game 3 against Toronto, smashing a game-tying homer off Louis Varland.

With the Yankees now headed into the offseason, Judge was asked about the plan for his ailing elbow. “We’ll definitely do some work on it and get it right,” Judge told reporters, including Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. When asked about surgery specifically, Judge remained noncommittal. “I’m not a doctor. I don’t know.”

The flexor strain forced Judge to the IL in late July. It was a minimum stint on the IL, but he was unable to play the field upon returning. Judge spent all of August at DH. He made it back to his familiar home in right field on September 5. Judge bounced between right field and DH for the final month of the season. In the playoffs, he played exclusively in the field, with Giancarlo Stanton manning the DH spot in all seven games.

Initial tests did not reveal any ulnar collateral ligament damage for Judge. His recovery from surgery to address the flexor strain, if he were to go that route, would not be as long as for a more serious elbow injury like a UCL tear.

Anthony Volpe was similarly tight-lipped about offseason surgery for his shoulder injury. “I anticipated playing another month and then reassessing then. So nothing’s [decided] … we’re going to figure it out,” Volpe told reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

Volpe partially tore the labrum in his shoulder back in May. He didn’t go on the IL with the injury, but his performance suffered. Volpe slashed a solid .237/.328/.456 through April. His numbers tumbled to .205/.255/.374 over the final five months of the season. Volpe got off to a strong start in the postseason, going 4-for-11 with a home run in the Wild Card round against Boston. He collapsed in the ALDS, managing just one hit in 15 at-bats. Volpe struck out 11 times in the four games against Toronto.

Depending on the severity of the tear, Volpe could elect surgery and still be ready for the 2026 season. Shohei Ohtani tore the labrum in his non-throwing shoulder during the World Series in 2024. He made it back in time for spring training this year.

While Volpe never hit the IL with the shoulder issue, he did miss time in mid-September after receiving a cortisone injection. Midseason acquisition Jose Caballero started six straight games at shortstop from September 10-15. Caballero receded to a bench role once Volpe was deemed healthy, but he did endear himself to Yankees fans with a walk-off single to clinch a postseason bid in the final week of the season. Caballero is under team control through 2029 and could factor into New York’s middle infield plans depending on the health of Volpe.

No matter what Judge and Volpe decide on the surgery front, they’ll definitely be back with the team next season. The same can’t be said for Cody Bellinger, who is facing a decision of his own. Bellinger can opt out of the final year of his current contract with the Yankees. He’d be leaving $20MM on the table ($25MM salary next year but with a $5MM buyout) in pursuit of a longer, potentially more lucrative deal in free agency.

Hoch passed along comments from Bellinger about the pending opt-out decision. As has been the theme with these Yankees, Bellinger didn’t say much. “Obviously, things to discuss with family and the agent and the business side of it all. But tonight, I’m just going to soak it all in and just be a part of the group one more time.”

Bellinger signed his current three-year, $80MM contract with the Cubs ahead of the 2024 season. He could’ve opted out of the deal this past offseason, but declined. Bellinger was then dealt to the Yankees. He slugged 29 home runs in his first year in pinstripes, his most since his 2019 NL MVP season. Bellinger also stayed healthy, topping 600 plate appearances for just the third time in his career. He’s widely expected to opt out of the final year of his deal.

Aaron Judge Returns To Right Field

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Aaron Judge returns to the outfield as the Yankees begin a pivotal series against the Blue Jays. He’s making his first start in right field since being diagnosed with a flexor strain on July 26. That sent Judge to the injured list for a minimal 10 days. He spent the next month as a full-time designated hitter because the forearm issue made it difficult for him to throw.

The Yankees will ease Judge back to action. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com) that the two-time MVP will not play defense every day. Boone suggested Judge will divide right field playing time with Giancarlo Stanton. They’ll happily take whatever opportunities they can to keep Stanton out of the outfield. He’s in the DH spot tonight against Kevin Gausman.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is also playing the series opener. He’s hitting fifth and back at second base. Chisholm departed last night’s win over the Astros with contusions on both knees. He was hobbled during the game but confirmed afterwards that testing ruled out any ligament damage (relayed by Brendan Kuty of The Athletic). He’s back tonight for one of New York’s biggest sets of the year.

The Jays have a three-game cushion in the AL East. The Yankees are half a game up on the Red Sox for second place and the American League’s top Wild Card position. All three teams have very strong odds of making the postseason. They’re all in play for the division, which would likely come with a first-round bye. Toronto, New York and Boston each have a better record than the AL West-leading Astros, so the East winner should secure one of the top two seeds. The Jays are a half-game ahead of the Tigers for the best record in the American League.

Poll: Will Anyone Get To 60 Home Runs This Year?

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It’s been a great year for power hitters in MLB, as five different players slugged their 40th home run of the season before the end of August. It’s not often that so many hitters enter September with a realistic shot at the lofty threshold of 60 home runs in a season. It’s a feat that’s only been accomplished nine times, and the combination of Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire account for five of those nine 60-homer seasons. Of course, it’s an incredibly rare feat for a reason, and many promising campaigns fall short in the season’s final month. 12 seasons with between 56 and 59 home runs have been logged throughout MLB history, after all.

Will this year’s biggest power threats join that club of also-ran seasons, or will we see the tenth 60-homer season in MLB history come to fruition this year? Here’s a look at each of the top home run hitters from this season and their chances of reaching that illustrious 60-homer plateau, in order of their current home run totals for 2025:

Cal Raleigh

While everyone else on this list hit their 40th homer of the season in August, Raleigh’s 40th home run was actually slugged on July 26. The Mariners’ catcher has had a historic season this year, setting the all-time single season home run record for a catcher while sitting just four behind Mickey Mantle for the all-time single season record for home runs by a switch hitter. With 50 homers tallied so far this year, it’s hard not to see why Raleigh could have a very real shot at hitting 60 home runs this season. He’s hit at least ten homers in three of the season’s five months so far, and has never hit less than eight in a month this year. With that being said, it’s also worth noting that Raleigh has slowed down a bit in the second half of the season. In 40 games since the All-Star break, Raleigh has posted just a 112 wRC+ with 12 home runs. With just 25 games left to play on the Mariners’ schedule, he’ll need to pick up the pace if he’s going to reach 60 homers this year.

Kyle Schwarber

Schwarber is just one homer back of Raleigh in the race for the MLB home run lead after an incredible four-home run performance on August 28. Schwarber has long been one of the game’s premiere power threats and, like Raleigh, has hit at least 10 homers in three of this season’s five months so far. He’ll need to hit 11 in 25 September games in order to reach 60 homers, but one thing working in his favor is that he’s saved most of his power for the second half this year. He’s hit 12 home runs in both July and August, so if he can put up just one more month like the last two, he’ll get there. Of course, a player slugging .655 over his past 52 games also runs the risk of getting pitched around, which could damage Schwarber’s chances of making it to 60. One thing that could work in Schwarber’s favor is his home ballpark, as Statcast considers Citizens Bank Park to be the fifth-most homer friendly stadium in the majors this year.

Shohei Ohtani

With three MVP awards in the past four years, no one should put anything past baseball’s two-way superstar. Ohtani became the first player to go 50-50 last season, and with 54 homers tied with Mantle (and seven other seasons) at 22nd on the single-season home run leaderboard. With 45 home runs headed into September, he has an outside shot at not only breaking that personal record, but getting a coveted 60-homer season. 15 home runs in a single month is a tall order for any player, but Ohtani did exactly that back in May when he crushed 15 long balls in 27 games. The Dodgers have two fewer games than that in September, but Ohtani will benefit from playing his home games at Dodger Stadium, which is far and away the most homer-friendly ballpark in the majors this year per Statcast.

Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge hit his 43rd home run of the season yesterday, and that makes it a tall order for him to reach 60 homers this season. With that being said, onlookers around the game should know better than to doubt the hulking slugger’s offensive abilities at this point, with MVP wins in two of the last three seasons and a completely absurd 202 wRC+ since the start of the 2022 season. Judge is also, of course, the only active player who’s already a member of the 60 home run club after bashing 62 long balls to take the AL home run record from Roger Maris during his 2022 AL MVP campaign. Judge finished just short with 58 home runs last year, but perhaps this year will be different. In order to reach 60 on the season, Judge will need to make a different kind of history: as noted by Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com last year, the record for home runs hit in September (and October, in seasons where it hosts regular season games) belongs jointly to Albert Belle and Babe Ruth. Judge would need to at least tie that duo’s 17 homers in the final month of the year in order to crack 60 long balls this year.

What do MLBTR readers think? Will the league enjoy a 60-homer campaign for the second time in four years this season? And if so, who is most likely to pull it off? Have your say in the polls below:

Will there be a 60 homer season in 2025?
No 59.17% (2,782 votes)
Yes 40.83% (1,920 votes)
Total Votes: 4,702
If someone WERE to hit 60 home runs this year, who would it be?
Cal Raleigh 44.13% (2,001 votes)
Kyle Schwarber 42.52% (1,928 votes)
Aaron Judge 7.52% (341 votes)
Shohei Ohtani 5.82% (264 votes)
Total Votes: 4,534

Poll: AL MVP Race Check-In

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Back in June, MLBTR conducted a pair of polls checking the temperature on the two MVP races, and both polls saw the league’s reigning MVP earn a dominating majority. Aaron Judge pulled in 55% of the vote in the American League poll, while Shohei Ohtani did even better as he commanded 57% of the vote in the National League’s poll. Since then, Ohtani has broken away from the pack in the NL as he’s more fully resumed two-way duties. While other players like Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Pete Crow-Armstrong have put together excellent seasons of their own in the NL, it’s hard to see that race as anything other than Ohtani’s to lose headed into the final month of the season.

By contrast, the AL MVP race has tightened considerably over the past two months. A big part of that is the fact that  Judge hasn’t looked like his usual superhuman self lately. The 33-year-old is still slashing an absurd .323/.439/.667 (193 wRC+), a figure that leads the majors by a substantial margin. However, Judge’s numbers have come down quite a bit in the past two months. Since the day our last AL MVP poll was published, Judge has hit “just” .240/.385/.540 with 12 homers and a 26% strikeout rate in 192 trips to the plate.

That lack of volume is thanks to a flexor strain in Judge’s elbow that sent him to the injured list for a minimum stint a few weeks ago, and his .210/.380/.403 slash line since returning from the injured list only underscores that he’s not playing at full strength. He’s also been relegated to a DH-only role for the month of August and has no timetable for his return to the outfield, though he’s already begun making throws to the infield in pregame workouts.

Of course, Judge looking mortal for a month or so wouldn’t be terribly noteworthy without someone mounting a substantial challenge for his league’s MVP award. Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is doing exactly that. Raleigh’s phenomenal season has earned him plenty of attention all year, but he’s only garnered more attention as an MVP candidate in the weeks since Judge’s injury. Interestingly, Raleigh’s offensive numbers have slumped a bit right alongside Judge. While he was slashing .278/.383/.665 at the time of our last AL MVP poll, he’s hit a less robust .204/.311/.498 in 235 plate appearances since then. That includes a .202/.302/.524 slash line in August that isn’t all that far ahead of Judge’s numbers.

Even with the pair both cooling at the plate, Raleigh has still been playing catcher regularly and hasn’t missed time on the IL like Judge has. Raleigh, who secured just 37% of the vote in our last poll, now has eight more games played and 31 more plate appearances than Judge. It’s a small gap, but in a close race, an increased defensive workload and slight lead in terms of overall volume could be key differentiators.

There’s also the factor of history to be considered. Judge managed to surpass Ohtani in the 2022 AL MVP race in part because he set the AL home run record that season. Raleigh would need to hit 13 homers before the end of the season in order to take the title of AL home run king away from Judge, but his prodigious power has already secured him one piece of history that Judge has no hope of taking away: last night, he became the first catcher in MLB history to slug 50 homers in a season. All of that comes together to make Raleigh a legitimate contender for the award alongside Judge, and the fact that the pair are tied at the top of the MLB leaderboard with 7.3 fWAR a piece only further speaks to the viability of both candidates.

Few players in the AL have a realistic shot of challenging these two titans, but one player who could make an interesting case for himself with a strong September would be Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who finished second for the award behind Judge last year. Witt only received token consideration for the award in our last poll, garnering just 2.3% of the vote two months ago. Since then, however, he’s outperformed both Judge and Raleigh with a .313/.370/.524 slash line, a 13-for-14 record on the bases, and defense at shortstop that should make him a lock for his second consecutive Gold Glove award at the position. Witt’s 6.5 fWAR and 130 wRC+ both substantially trail Judge and Raleigh at this point, but if those two continue trending downward while Witt continues trending up, it’s at least possible that we could be in for a three-horse race.

Who do MLBTR readers think will ultimately win this year’s AL MVP award? Will Judge hold onto the title for the second year in a row? Will Raleigh’s historic season behind the plate be enough? Could Witt’s second-half surge be enough to overcome both of them? Have your say in the poll below:

Who Will Win The AL MVP Award?
Cal Raleigh 71.43% (4,878 votes)
Aaron Judge 22.77% (1,555 votes)
Bobby Witt Jr. 3.56% (243 votes)
Someone Else 2.24% (153 votes)
Total Votes: 6,829

Yankees Notes: Judge, Volpe, Cruz

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Aaron Judge has been hampered by a flexor strain in recent weeks. He first spent a minimum stint on the injured list to rest his ailing elbow, and since returning he’s been limited to exclusively DH work. Earlier this week, some questions were raised about just what shape Judge will be able to get his throwing arm back into before the end of the year. Fortunately, any concerns over Judge’s ability to throw seem to be on hold for the time being as Judge started throwing to the bases from the outfield during pregame workouts today.

The reigning AL MVP told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch) today that was about “checking a box” in his rehab and that he’s sticking purely to what the team’s trainers tell him to do as he works his way back into condition to resume regular duties in the outfield. Manager Aaron Boone, meanwhile, told reporters (including The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty) that while Judge “looked good” throwing to second base today, there’s still no timetable for his return to the grass in a game setting. Boone emphasized that the club feels it’s important to take Judge’s recovery process slowly in order to avoid re-injury.

That, of course, makes sense given how important Judge’s 196 wRC+ bat is to the lineup. Judge’s .218/.386/.418 (126 wRC+) slash line since returning from the IL on August 5 isn’t quite as robust as his usual otherworldly numbers, but it’s still well above average production that virtually any other hitter in the sport would be happy with. In the meantime, Giancarlo Stanton has begun playing in right field as a temporary solution to get his bat in the lineup while Judge occupies the DH slot.

Stanton’s return to the outfield isn’t the only shakeup of the Yankees lineup from the past few days. Shortstop Anthony Volpe has had a rough year on both sides of the ball, and today Boone made the decision to leave him out of the club’s starting lineup with deadline addition Jose Caballero starting at shortstop in his stead. Boone was non-committal before the game (as noted by Greg Joyce of the New York Post) about when Volpe would return to the starting lineup, but he was used as a defensive replacement in tonight’s game against the Red Sox. After a four-hit performance on August 1, Volpe has hit a paltry .121/.171/.242 in his last 19 games and was charged with an error in last night’s contest. That was enough for the Yankees to decide mix things up for at least a little while, but Volpe suggested after the game to reporters (including Kuty) that he’ll be back in the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Nationals after sitting out tomorrow as well.

For now, it seems like this time out of the lineup is just an opportunity for Volpe to reset amid a tough stretch both at the plate and in the field. With that said, it’s at least possible that the Yankees could be looking to get Caballero a bit more playing time. Since coming over from the Rays at this year’s trade deadline, Caballero has slashed .320/.433/.600 in 31 plate appearances across 14 games with the organization. While Caballero is generally regarded as a below-average hitter overall, that recent hot streak in conjunction with his fairly well-regarded glove and impressive speed on the basepaths could be enough to earn the soon to be 29-year-old infielder some more playing time down the stretch, particularly if Volpe’s struggles continue.

On the pitching side of things, Hoch reports that the Yankees are poised to get some reinforcements tomorrow when right-hander Fernando Cruz is activated from the injured list. Cruz has been sidelined due to an oblique strain for nearly two months, but the 35-year-old had looked nothing short of excellent over the season’s first half with a 3.00 ERA, 2.48 FIP, and an eye-popping 41.2% strikeout rate in 33 innings of work prior to the injury. If Cruz looks anything like that upon his return, he should be a massive asset to a Yankees bullpen that has struggled somewhat despite the aggressive addition of reinforcements at this summer’s trade deadline. David Bednar, Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, and Camilo Doval have all taken turns in save situations but each has looked shaky of late, leaving plenty of opportunity for Cruz to fashion a key role for himself upon his return.

Latest On Aaron Judge’s Flexor Strain

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Aaron Judge is currently limited to DH-only duties after he was briefly sidelined by a right flexor strain last month. He’s still hitting a solid .229/.426/.429 in 11 games since coming off the injured list, but manager Aaron Boone cast some doubt on his ability to return to full strength this year when it comes to throwing yesterday. As noted by The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner, Boone said in both a radio appearance on WFAN and an appearance on Jomboy Media’s Talkin’ Yanks podcast that Judge may not be “throwing like normal” again this year.

Notably, Boone did not say that Judge won’t throw again this year. On Talkin’ Yanks, Boone suggested that Judge will probably need “to play with a little bit of a governor” on his throws before adding that he won’t return to the field until he can throw safely. Kirschner adds that Boone went on to suggest that his comments may have been “a little” overstated, while Judge challenged his manager’s framing of the situation by noting that Boone hadn’t seen him throw in two weeks before adding that he’s “pretty confident” he’ll get back to throwing at full strength this year. At the same time, Judge emphasized that he’s going to “be smart about it” in order to ensure he doesn’t aggravate his ailing elbow and miss more time than his initial ten-day stint on the shelf.

Judge’s injury has forced the Yankees into a difficult balancing act. Any day where the reigning AL MVP can’t hit for the Yankees is a crushing blow, so giving him as long as he might need to act as a pure DH and rest his elbow makes plenty of sense. At the same time, Giancarlo Stanton has been incredibly productive (hitting .299/.377/.576) in 44 games since returning from the injured list earlier this year. A laundry list of past injuries and the likelihood that playing the field could cause additional wear and tear on Stanton’s body has essentially made him into a full-time DH of late, and his recent appearances in right field while Judge has been forced into the DH slot have been his first outings on the grass since 2023.

Stanton has not appeared in more than 38 games in the outfield since 2018, suggesting that playing Stanton in the field can’t be viewed as more than a short-term solution. With Stanton hitting well and unlikely to be able to handle regular outfield work for long, the Yankees will be better off the sooner Judge can return to the field—so long as Judge doesn’t cause himself to miss time by doing so. The change has also caused Ben Rice to get more starts behind the plate in order to allow both him and Paul Goldschmidt to stay in the lineup on a regular basis, cutting the playing time of Austin Wells. Of course, Wells has struggled at the plate recently with a .119/.172/.186 slash line since the All-Star break, so he may well have been in line to lose some playing time even before Judge took over at DH.

While the club waits for Judge to be healthy enough to play the field, they’re locked in a tight playoff race. The Blue Jays have opened up a five game lead over New York to take control of the AL East, but the Yankees are just one game ahead of the Red Sox and Mariners among the AL’s Wild Card teams, with Kansas City lurking just 2.5 games back of a playoff spot and Cleveland only three games out. The final few weeks of the season will be crucial as those five clubs vie for their league’s three Wild Card spots, and if the playoff race tightens further that will only give further importance to the Yankees’ decision-making going forward regarding Judge and Stanton.

Yankees Notes: Judge, Bellinger, Goldschmidt, Slater, Schlittler

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Aaron Judge’s right flexor strain continues to be the overarching story impacting the Yankees’ business on and off the field as the trade deadline approaches.  Manager Aaron Boone provided some more details on Judge’s status in an interview with Jomboy Media’s “Talkin’ Yanks” podcast (link to X) today, saying that Judge is slated to start hitting off a tee no later than tomorrow.  It will still be 10-15 more days before Judge is able to throw, however, keeping with the initial expectation that Judge will be limited to DH duty when he is able to return to New York’s lineup.

Judge received a PRP injection in order to help the healing process, and if he is able to swing without discomfort, that should allow him to get back into the field at least as a designated hitter.  It’s a good sign that Judge is already set to take some swings, though there won’t be many sighs of relief in the Bronx until Judge is officially back from the 10-day IL, and perhaps not until he is able to take his regular spot back in right field.  The longer Judge is DH-locked, the longer Giancarlo Stanton will have to play the outfield, which is itself a roll of the dice considering Stanton’s lengthy injury history.

The ripple effect of Judge’s injury can’t be understated, as the superstar’s absence adds to the recent misery for a Yankees team that is 15-24 over its last 39 games.  While the Yankees are 57-49 and remain the AL’s top wild card team, SNY’s Andy Martino reported yesterday that the club was considering selling some talent at the deadline if Judge’s elbow issue had proved to be season-ending.  Following up on that report, Martino adds that the Yankees floated Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt in talks with at least one team.  Goldschmidt is an impending free agent, and Bellinger can opt out of his $25MM player option for 2026 and enter the open market as well following the season.

This could just be due diligence and an example of how front offices tend to prepare for any scenario, as Martino again stressed that it is quite unlikely that the Bronx Bombers will be anything but deadline buyers.  New York has already been busy on the trade front in adding Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario, and remain linked to multiple other players on the rumor mill.

Austin Slater is the latest name in the mix, as ESPN’s Buster Olney lists Slater as one of the right-handed hitting outfielders on the Bombers’ list of possible targets.  The veteran outfielder is hitting .244/.308/.437 over 131 plate appearances for the White Sox this season, with an .897 OPS in 74 PA against left-handed pitching.

A right meniscus tear shelved Slater for about five weeks earlier this season, but has looked good since returning in May.  Slater is one of the more inexpensive rentals on the market, as he has only around $580K remaining on his $1.75MM salary for the 2025 campaign.  He’d fit into any team’s budget at that number, so plenty of teams beyond just the Yankees figure to be checking in with the White Sox.

As Martino noted, the Yankees may be more apt to make modest deadline upgrades than to swing any real headline-grabbing trades.  If the club did do something a little more consequential like move a highly-touted prospect, Cam Schlittler might be a player to watch, as MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch writes that the right-hander “is rumored to be near the top of several wish lists” from rival teams.

Schlittler is just three starts into his big league career, with a 4.91 ERA over his 14 2/3 inning in the Show.  His 13.2% walk rate and three home runs allowed are signs of growing pains, but Schlittler has posted very good numbers in the minors since being a seventh-round pick for New York in the 2022 draft.  Offering a big league-ready young starter can open the door in many trade talks, yet given how the Yankees are themselves stretched for rotation depth, they might well see the value in keeping Schlittler for the rest of the 2025 stretch run, let alone for the future.

Yankees Place Aaron Judge On Injured List With Flexor Strain

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July 27: The Yankees announced this morning that Judge has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right flexor strain. Infielder Amed Rosario is replacing Judge on the roster after he was acquired from Nationals last night.

July 26: Yankees superstar Aaron Judge underwent testing earlier today due to what the Yankees termed an “elbow issue,” and manager Aaron Boone relayed the results of that testing to reporters this afternoon. As relayed by several reporters including Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Boone revealed this afternoon that Judge is suffering from a flexor strain. He’ll need to be placed on the injured list and will be limited to DH-only duties for a time upon his return, but Boone added that there is no tear in Judge’s UCL and described the diagnosis as “good news.”

ESPN’s Jorge Castillo was among those to relay that Boone suggested it’s “possible” that Judge could be back in the lineup as a DH after a minimum ten-day stint on the shelf, at which point he could begin a throwing program with an eye towards returning to the outfield later on. Castillo adds that Boone noted he’s already spoken to incumbent DH Giancarlo Stanton about getting some outfield reps while Judge occupies the DH slot upon his return. Jon Heyman of the New York Post added that the ideal scenario for the Yankees is that Judge misses ten days on the IL, then serves as the club’s DH for ten more days before returning the outfield in just 20 days total. It’s an aggressive timeline that would put Judge back in right field on a regular basis in the middle of August.

Flexor strains are often a precursor to UCL damage but can typically be resolved with rest, with the exact amount of rest necessary dependent on the severity of the strain. With such an aggressive timeline being discussed at this point, it seems likely that Judge is dealing with a relatively minor strain. With that being said, the Yankees’ top priority is surely to avoid damage to Judge’s UCL that could require surgery. It would be a surprise if the club was willing to rush their generational talent back to the field before they were completely certain that he won’t cause further damage to his elbow by continuing to play.

Whether Judge will ultimately return to the roster after just a minimum stint and be back in the outfield shortly thereafter or he’ll require a longer absence, the fact that Judge shouldn’t require surgery is surely cause for relief among the Yankees faithful. Even so, any time missed by the reigning AL MVP will be a tough blow given his singular importance to the team’s lineup. Always a prolific hitter, Judge has unlocked another gear to his game since the start of the 2022 season when he crushed an AL-record 62 homers and won his first MVP award. He was limited to just 106 games by injury in 2023 but delivered another MVP performance last year that was more or less identical to his 2022 campaign. This year has been more of the same so far, as he’s slashed an unbelievable .342/.449/.711 while leading the majors in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits, and total bases as well as both bWAR and fWAR.

Losing that caliber of hitter would hurt for any lineup, but it’s especially damaging for a Yankees position player corps that has gotten up-and-down performances from other key hitters like Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Ben Rice. Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Jasson Dominguez should be able to handle things in the outfield while Judge is out of commission, but it’s undeniable that Dominguez’s league average bat is a huge step down from the elite offense Judge has offered. While no one can reasonably be expected to replace an MVP candidate, it’s possible that reinforcements from the minors (or even another club ahead of the trade deadline) could help to soften the blow over the coming days.

Top outfield prospect Spencer Jones has been raking in his first taste of Triple-A action this year and might seem like a logical choice to replace Judge on the roster, but Jack Curry of the YES Network writes that Jones missed last night’s game for the RailRiders because of back spasms. That could leave fellow Triple-A outfielders Everson Pereira and Bryan De La Cruz as the most likely options to step up in Judge’s place, particularly given that both are already on the club’s 40-man roster. It wasn’t too long ago that Pereira was in the top-100 prospect conversation, and while injuries have sidelined him in recent years he’s posted a strong .256/.353/.516 line in 300 Triple-A plate appearances this year. De La Cruz has less impressive numbers, but does boast a longer track record in the big leagues.

With Judge expected to return this season and potentially do so without even spending very long on the injured list, it’s unlikely that his injury will cause the Yankees to pull back from their plan of buying in the coming days as they look to catch the Blue Jays in the AL East. It’s not out of the question, however, that the club could have more interest in adding further additions to the offense in the wake of today’s news even after trading for third baseman Ryan McMahon yesterday. Speculatively speaking, a versatile hitter capable of helping out all over the diamond like Twins utility man Willi Castro or versatile Cardinals hitter Brendan Donovan (the latter of whom New York was recently connected to) could be very attractive as a short-term boost to the outfield mix while Judge recovers who could then shift to the infield mix long-term.

Aaron Judge Undergoing Testing For “Elbow Issue”

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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.

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