When two-time American League MVP Aaron Judge was placed on the 10-day injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow this past Saturday, the club hoped that the stint would require exactly 10 days and that Judge could return at designated hitter.
Nearly a week into his stint on the injured list, that appears to still be the Yankees' plan. Judge, who had been hitting off of a tee during the Yankees' three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, on Friday took regular batting practice and worked out on the field ahead of the Yankees' game against the Miami Marlins. The plan is for Judge to head to Tampa to face live pitching.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters that Judge could return on Tuesday or Wednesday, when the Yankees are on the road in Texas to face the Rangers, according to Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record.
For fear of aggravating the flexor strain into a potential serious UCL injury, Judge has been shut down from throwing a baseball for two weeks and likely won't resume doing so until sometime next week. That means that, should he return early next week, it will be as the club's full-time designated hitter.
Whenever he does return, Judge will be joining a new-and-improved Yankees roster fresh off of importing seven players at the MLB trade deadline, including a new starting third baseman in Ryan McMahon as well as a crop of high-leverage relievers headlined by two-time All-Star David Bednar.
Judge has posted a .342/.449/.711 slash line with 37 home runs, 85 RBI, 90 runs scored and 73 walks in 103 games played in 2025.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Yankees' Aaron Judge Gets Anticipated Return Date From Injury.