Aaron Judge's Imminent Return: Yankees Captain Poised to Ignite Playoff Push

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The past several days in Aaron Judge's world have been a mixture of anxious waiting and mounting anticipation as Yankees fans and baseball insiders alike have monitored every update with the zeal usually reserved for a playoff race. According to MLB.com and widely echoed by NESN and Diario AS, Judge, the reigning AL MVP and Yankees captain, is recovering from a flexor strain in his right elbow, suffered while making a trademark rocket throw from the outfield on July 22 against Toronto. Despite the injury, he gritted his way through a couple more games—including an 0-for-3 outing with a sacrifice fly against Philadelphia—before team doctors firmly intervened and Judge hit the ten-day injured list. The club moved quickly to douse any rumors of something more catastrophic, with manager Aaron Boone repeatedly emphasizing this was muscle, not ligament, and the UCL—the dreaded Tommy John ligament—had been spared.

With the Yankees stringing together wins but clinging to a Wild Card spot, Judge’s status has evolved into a daily headline. As of August 1, Judge was spotted taking live batting practice in Miami, drawing hopeful attention across Yankees social media. On Friday, he ran through on-field drills, and the team has firmed up expectations that his activation as a designated hitter could arrive as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday next week, when the Yankees begin a series in Texas. MLB.com and Diario AS both report that the Yankees will ease Judge’s return, initially limiting him to DH duty to avoid aggravating his elbow—outfield heroics will have to wait. The plan is for Judge to face live pitching in Tampa over the weekend, a final checkpoint before his much-awaited return.

Statistically, it’s hard to ignore the potential impact: Judge is currently leading baseball with a .342 average, 37 home runs, and 85 RBIs in just 103 games. His MVP candidacy has never looked stronger, and his absence has only underscored his centrality to the Yankees’ playoff push. There was some online confusion this week as well—an Instagram account called out a fake viral photo featuring Judge, slamming it as clickbait nonsense, while genuine footage of Judge’s workouts has fanned optimism among fans.

No major trade rumors have involved Judge himself at the deadline—Bleacher Report focused elsewhere—but the narrative on Judge has been relentlessly focused on his health and looming comeback. As Judge resumes his starring role, all eyes will be on whether his swing has lost any of its signature thunder and if his return sparks a Yankees surge down the stretch.

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