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By Jon Vankin
Contributing Sports Writer
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In the middle of what has been one of the greatest seasons ever put together by any hitter, and certainly by a right-handed hitter, New York Yankees two-time MVP Aaron Judge was sidelined with an injured flexor in his right elbow.
Now, some Yankee-watchers are blaming manager Aaron Boone, at least in part, for Judge's injury — an injury that were it to become worse would threaten the Bronx Bombers' playoff hopes this season, and possibly next season as well.
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Judge first felt the injury to his right elbow when he made a throw from right field in a game last Tuesday in Toronto. Despite the discomfort in his throwing elbow, Judge played in Wednesday's game as well, knowing that the Yankees were off the following day.
But the off-day came and went, and Judge was still feeling the elbow injury.
Boone inserted his top slugger into Friday's lineup, against the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankees Stadium anyway.
"Boone essentially enabled an injured Judge to stay in Friday's game," wrote Fansided Yankees scribe Wynston Wilcox on Sunday. "He knew Judge wasn't going to be able to throw hard and he knew it would be a liability. What he didn't take into account is if the injury would be detrimental to the season."
Judge himself lobbied to play in the game, according to Pinstripes Nation writer Esteban Quiñones, even though he was unable to make throws longer than about 60 feet.
"Manager Boone allowed Judge to remain in the lineup because he believed Judge wouldn't risk further injury," Quiñones reported.
Strains of the flexor, a muscle group that supports the elbow's ulnar collateral ligament, if not healed properly can lead to tears in the UCL, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. The remedy for UCL tears is Tommy John surgery, which would end Judge's season and probably cost him a sizable portion of next season as well.
When the Phillies' eight-time All-Star Bryce Harper underwent Tommy John surgery on Nov. 23, 2022, he was able to rejoin the Philadelphia lineup 160 days later, on May 2, 2023. But that set a record for the speediest recovery from Tommy John ever, by any MLB player.
Harper was 30 years old at the time. Judge is now 33.
More MLB: Yankees' Aaron Judge Finally Breaks Silence Following Grim Injury Update
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