Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) shown in the dugout during the game against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Truist Park. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

New York Yankees Superstar Aaron Judge Facing Major Injury Scare

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Jul 26, 2025 11:44 AM ET

Right fielder Aaron Judge is not in the New York Yankees' starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Manager Aaron Boone told reporters that Judge is dealing with an elbow issue, and that the 33-year-old superstar had trouble throwing the ball in from the outfield on Friday. Judge has undergone imaging, but he is still awaiting results.

The severity of the injury, as well as the potential timetable for his return, is still unknown.

Judge went 0-for-3 in the Yankees' 12-5 series-opening loss to the Phillies. He is batting .143 with a .600 OPS over his last eight games.

Judge is dealing with an elbow issue and had trouble throwing the ball from the outfield last night, Boone said. He’s not in the starting lineup. Yankees awaiting imaging results.
— JackCurryYES (@JackCurryYES) July 26, 2025

Even taking that slump into account, Judge leads MLB with a .342 batting average, 1.160 OPS and 6.8 WAR through 103 games in 2025. He has racked up 37 home runs, 24 doubles, 85 RBIs and 90 runs, making him the heavy favorite to repeat as AL MVP.

Judge missing any amount of time could give Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh a bump in the awards race, though, on top of hurting the Yankees' chances in the AL Wild Card race. New York reached the World Series for the first time in 15 years last October, but now boasts the ninth-best record in baseball.

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

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