Aaron Judge Drops Shocking Update on Elbow Injury — Could His Return to Right Field Be Sooner Than Expected?

Aaron Judge’s recent strides in recovery have lit a flicker of hope for Yankees fans eager to see their slugger back in full swing. After dealing with a pesky right elbow flexor strain that sidelined him just before New York’s narrow 3-2 triumph over the Texas Rangers, Judge has begun tossing around 90 feet – a small yet significant marker on his road back. The seven-time All-Star’s return to the designated hitter spot this past Tuesday rejuvenated the lineup, but the real thrill would be watching him patrol the outfield once more. With the Yankees sitting third in the AL East at 61-54, every boost counts as they set their sights on finishing the MLB season strong. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton’s possible re-entry into right field adds another twist, promising some intriguing strategy moves ahead. The countdown begins for Judge’s elbow to “forget” all about the injury, and if the early signs are anything to go by, the Bronx Bombers might just be gearing up for a powerful finish. LEARN MORE

Aaron Judge is optimistic he will be able to forget about his elbow injury in a couple of weeks as the New York Yankees target a strong end to the MLB season.

Judge threw from around 90 feet for the first time after hitting the injured list with a right elbow flexor strain prior to the Yankees’ 3-2 win at the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.

Having the seven-time All-Star back in the outfield would be a major boost for New York, who sit third in the AL East with a 61-54 record.

Judge came off the IL on Tuesday and stepped back into the Yankees line-up at DH.

It felt good – Judge

He confirmed the initial stages of his throwing programme were going well.

“Felt good. Normal throwing,” Judge told The New York Post. “It’s obviously sore. You got a flexor strain, it’s like [a hamstring] – you run for the first time on a hammy, it’s going to be sore. But it didn’t feel like what it did when I hurt it.

“I think for a little bit and then eventually it will get better and we’ll be good to go and forget about it in a couple weeks. We’ll see, I’ve never had this. It’d be easier if I had a quad or a hammy or an oblique and I could give you guys a better estimate about what we got.” 

Yankees trying to get big-hitting Judge and Stanton in line-up

It remains to be seen how long Judge will have to spend at DH but the Yankees will be eager to have both him and Giancarlo Stanton in the line-up when the Houston Astros visit the Bronx this weekend.

Stanton was benched on Wednesday but was spotted doing some pre-game work in right field, raising hopes he could play there on a temporary basis until Judge was fully fit.

Stanton has not played the field since 2023 due to repetitive injury concerns but manager Aaron Boone was refusing to rule it out.

“You’re trying to weigh that, trying to get a feel from Big G,” Boone said. “Looks like we do have a couple lefties with Houston, and with [Austin] Slater going down, there’s probably an avenue to get him out there. I feel like G, in his head, is feeling like he can go out there and be representative. We’ll see.”