The Yankees will not have a captain starting Saturday's game, as Aaron Judge is not in the game against Phillies and left-handed starter Ranger Suárez. Manager Aaron Boone said the judge had been dealing with “elbow issues” and the team was awaiting results for the imaging test.
The judge was in pain after throwing in Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays, although it's unclear if it's related to his elbow.
The judge went 3-0 in a 12-5 loss to Philadelphia Friday night. Coupled with Toronto's victory over the Tigers, the Yankees fell to 5 1/2 games in the American League in the U.S. Eastern Conference. New York is currently leading the first AL wildcard.
The judge won the second AL Most Valuable Player Award in 2024, and he will bring another sensational season for the Yankees, leading the Grand Slams in various statistics categories. The judge cut .342/.449/.711 in 103 games in 2025.