Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) shown after scoring a run against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning at Truist Park. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

New York Yankees Share Timeline For Aaron Judge's Return From Elbow Injury

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 10:35 AM ET

In their first game without Aaron Judge all season, the New York Yankees immediately missed their star slugger.

New York lost 9-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, dropping the series and putting the team at risk of a sweep. Judge was not in the lineup, as it was revealed pregame that he was dealing with an elbow issue and was still awaiting results of his imaging.

Judge was ultimately diagnosed with a right flexor strain, which led to the Yankees placing him on the 10-day injured list Sunday morning. That freed up enough room for New York to add utility man Amed Rosario to the active roster, roughly 12 hours after acquiring him in a trade with the Washington Nationals.

Prior to today’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
• Recalled LHP Brent Headrick (#47) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
• Placed OF Aaron Judge on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to 7/26) with a right flexor strain.
• Added INF/OF Amed Rosario to the…
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 27, 2025

As for Judge's path back to the active roster, manage Aaron Boone told reporters Saturday that there is a chance he returns after the minimum 10 days. However, he would likely rejoin the lineup as a designated hitter, then take some additional time before resuming work in the outfield.

That would bump 35-year-old veteran Giancarlo Stanton back into the outfield, where he hasn't played since 2023.

Getting Judge's bat in the lineup will be critical, though, even after his recent slump. The 33-year-old slugger hit .184 with a .750 OPS over his last 11 games, going 1-for-13 in the direct leadup to his injury.

On the whole this season, Judge leads MLB with a .342 batting average, 1.160 OPS and 6.8 WAR. Adding that to his 37 home runs, 24 doubles, 85 RBIs and 90 runs made him the heavy favorite to win his third AL MVP, but his time off could give Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh an odds boost.

The Yankees will close out their series with the Phillies at 1:35 p.m. ET on Sunday, without Judge. They will be without their superstar outfielder until Aug. 5 at the earliest.

In the meantime, New York will try to cling onto its 1.5-game cushion in the AL Wild Card race.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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