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Aaron Judge Tommy John update: Injured Yankees star misses Phillies game - When could he return?
New York Yankees mainstay Aaron Judge was ruled out of the lineup on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies. His injury has cause Tommy John concerns.
New York Yankees mainstay Aaron Judge was ruled out of the lineup on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies. The 33-year-old was sent for imaging of his right elbow after he felt pain Tuesday night after a throw from right field against the Toronto Blue Jays.
“Obviously concerned,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We’ll wait and see as they read the imaging.” The development comes as the team has been sliding down the standings for two months.
While nothing is confirmed yet, in the worst-case scenario, Aaron Judge could have had a UCL tear. That would require Tommy John surgery, and the seven-time MLB All-Star could miss out on all games until 2027. He last played on Friday when the Yankees lost 15-5 against the Phillies.
Boone said he is not making assumptions about Judge's injury.
“Hopefully it’s something that is manageable and we can get through,” Boone added.
The two-time AL MVP leads the major leagues with a .342 batting average and 1.160 OPS. The 33-year-old has 37 home runs and 85 RBIs. He was spotted clenching his right hand in a fist during the Toronto game on Tuesday.
“He had a throw in Toronto where it zinged him, it hurt,” Boone said. Judge started as the Yankees' designated hitter on Wednesday. He, however, returned to the field on Friday after an off day.
On Saturday, Cody Bellinger started in the right field against Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez with Trent Grisham in center field and Jasson Dominguez in left field.
“Felt like he was fine on the off day, and then just last night was really dealing with it. He couldn’t really throw well from the outfield,” Boone said.
Boone said Yankees team physician Dr Christopher Ahmad was to read the imaging Saturday.
When could Aaron Judge return?
No official return date exists yet, as the Yankees await imaging results, potentially available by Sunday. If it’s a minor strain, Judge could return within days, possibly for Monday’s game against the Phillies, pending improvement.
However, if Tommy John surgery is needed, recovery could stretch into mid-2027, given the 14–18-month rehab timeline for position players.
