Saturday was not a great day for the New York Yankees. The morning began with news that sent reverberations through not just the Yankee organization but all of baseball, when it was revealed that two-time MVP Aaron Judge was scratched from the lineup with an elbow injury â a situation that had the potential to end Judge’s season with Tommy John surgery.
Next came the day’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies. While the Yankees team may have been expected to band together, rallying around their missing superstar, it didn’t quite work out that way. Falling behind 5-1 after six innings, the Yankees went on to lose 9-4.
An error by second baseman Jazz Chisholm â his 12th, fifth most in MLB â gave the Yankees their fifth straight game with at least one fielding error.
Judge Status Update Avoids the Worst
Then, after the game, came an announcement by manager Aaron Boone about Judge’s status that provided at least some relief for the Yankees and their fans â but could also have ominous implications.
Judge would not require surgery on his right elbow, Boone told reporters, but the hitter who earlier this month reached the 350-home run mark faster than any slugger in Major League history will need a trip to the 10-day injured list.
Judge’s diagnosis was a flexor muscle strain, according to ESPN.com reporter Jorge Castillo, but his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) was not damaged. A UCL tear is the specific injury that leads to Tommy John surgery, more technically known as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction.
Slugger Expected Back in 10 Days
“Boone said the Yankees believe Judge can return in 10 days,” Castillo reported. “Whenever he comes off the IL, heâll return as a DH with hopes that he can return to the outfield after a throwing ramp up.”
But ESPN’s senior MLB insider Jeff Passan noted that the flexor strain diagnosis, while clearly not the the worst possible news, could be a harbinger of future, more serious problems for Judge.
“The flexor mass is the bundle of muscles in the forearm that connects to the elbow and serves as a brake to take stress and strain off the UCL,” Passan reported. “Flexor injuries often precede those to the UCL, but they can be healed with rest. Time on IL varies and depends on severity of strain.”
Judge Must Refrain From Throwing
Exactly how severe Judge’s flexor strain actually is was not an issue addresses by Boone’s announcement. But Passan was also quick to note, “I am not a doctor, I just play one on TV.”
However, Passan’s warning was confirmed by an actual doctor, sports medicine specialist Jesse Morse, who posted on his social media account that flexor strain can, indeed, lead to future Tommy John surgery, “if theyâre not smart and allow him to continue to throw.”
Hitting Can Also Aggravate Flexor Injury
Morse added that the muscle use involved in hitting was not as worrisome, “hence the DH when he returns.”
However, Judge still needs time on the injured list because even as a designated hitter, according to Morse, the muscles required to squeeze a bat and for “generating force from his upper body through his shoulder, biceps and into his hands” also puts strain on the flexor. While Judge’s flexor muscles are in a compromised state, his hitting motion could aggravate the injury.
According to Morse, Judge will likely miss between two and four weeks.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Yankees Make Ominous Announcement After Aaron Judge Injury Scare appeared first on Heavy Sports.