New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge has been placed on the injured list after an MRI revealed a flexor strain in his right elbow, but no damage to his ulnar collateral ligament. The two-time AL MVP received a platelet-rich plasma injection and is expected to return in 10 days to two weeks, initially as a designated hitter.
Judge, who leads the majors with a .342 batting average and 1.160 OPS, missed just his second game of the season on Saturday as the Yankees lost 9-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies. He has 37 home runs and 85 RBIs this season.
Manager Aaron Boone expressed relief at the diagnosis, saying, 'All in all, we got good news today. I think all of us kind of feared the worst.' Judge had reported throwing difficulties during Friday's game, unable to throw past 60 feet.
Judge will not throw for 10 to 14 days, then will need a few days to rebuild arm strength before returning to the outfield. Giancarlo Stanton, the primary designated hitter, will begin working out in the outfield next week to help fill the gap.
The Yankees, who held a seven-game lead in the AL East in late May, now trail first-place Toronto by 5 1/2 games. Judge first felt pain during Tuesday's game in Toronto while making a throw home.
