The New York Yankees have been navigating choppy waters. But as luck couldn’t be any worse, came the gut punch—Aaron Judge is headed to the injured list with a right elbow issue. The rumors of him heading to IL were already in the rumor mill, and when confirmed, they led to a massive panic across Yankee Nation.
Because –elbow—that word alone is enough to set off alarm bells. Especially for someone with the Yankee captain’s throwing arm and power swing. So it was not long because speculation on a torn UCL and Judge needing Tommy John surgery made rounds. Could his MVP season be over?
Judge has been having a historic season, slashing .342 with 37 homers. So the thought of losing him to a long-term elbow issue felt like an apocalyptic end for the team, at least for this season. However, the silver lining is the news that it is a flexor strain and not a torn ligament. And Dr. Brian Sutterer, an expert sports physician, also confirmed that there is not much to worry about.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone announces Aaron Judge has a flexor strain in his right elbow and will be placed on the IL. pic.twitter.com/UupLQsDSjy
— MLB (@MLB) July 26, 2025
Dr. Brian Sutterer, who is known for breaking down athlete injuries, broke down Judge’s injury details, too. In his video analysis, Sutterer reassured fans, saying, “There’s a lot more stuff that can happen to a throwing athlete, especially that is not nearly going to be as concerning as a UCL injury. And in this case, I think Judge has come out on the fortunate side.” He added, “So if everything goes well, I would expect this to be maybe a two- to four- or three- to four-week time before he’s back throwing in the outfield. And in my opinion, there is nothing we need to worry about at face value for long-term UCL problems.”
Even Aaron Boone had chimed in and confirmed, telling reporters after the loss to the Philadelphia Phillies that it is a flexor strain. And nothing to do with the ligament. Boone added that when Judge returns, he would return as a DH initially and work that position for a while. So you can see the Yankees are treading carefully after having a huge scare.
Still, at any stretch, without Judge, the roster is in deep water. He is not just the guy with some eye-watering stats; he is the one keeping the team together and breathing easier. Without his glove in the right field and his bat in the lineup, the margin of error is thin. And the Yanks have already fallen behind the AL East and trail the Blue Jays by six games. So for now, the New York Yankees fans are still holding their breath.
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