Judge to DH upon return; 1B not among options

NEW YORK -- The Yankees are not considering having Aaron Judge play archetypal basal erstwhile helium returns from the injured list, a root told ESPN, with the two-time MVP to beryllium slotted astatine designated hitter until he's fixed the greenish airy to propulsion from the outfield.

The program for Judge, who was placed connected the injured database Sunday with a close flexor strain, is what manager Aaron Boone has laid out, with the anticipation that helium volition instrumentality aft the minimum 10-day absence.

The anticipation is Judge resumes throwing successful 10 to 14 days and works his mode backmost to being disposable successful the outfield.

Judge, 33, played archetypal basal successful precocious schoolhouse and has worked retired astatine archetypal basal during outpouring grooming successful caller years. Playing the presumption would beryllium easier connected his limb -- helium said Saturday that helium "couldn't propulsion past 60 feet" -- but Judge has ne'er played the presumption arsenic a nonrecreational and the Yankees aren't going to inquire their superstar to marque the hard modulation midseason, though it could beryllium thing that is considered successful the future.

With Judge slated to instrumentality arsenic the DH, Boone said Giancarlo Stanton is scheduled to statesman moving retired successful the outfield this week to go an enactment there. Stanton hasn't played the outfield since 2023, erstwhile helium started 31 games successful close tract and 2 successful near field.

Boone said Stanton's relation arsenic the Yankees' mundane DH impacted the team's determination to spot Judge connected the injured database to absorption connected healing his forearm strain with hopes of him returning to the outfield implicit having him constricted to DH.

"There's the feeling that if helium conscionable DH'd now, that helium astir apt would not compromise his UCL," Boone said. "Obviously, throwing would. That said, determination is simply a gripping constituent to it and it's probably, obviously, not similar the antiaircraft side, but astir apt somewhat affecting him offensively, too.

"And past there's the [Giancarlo] constituent too. So I think, erstwhile you adhd it each up, this makes the astir consciousness to springiness this clip to calm down a small bit, hopefully heal and past hopefully enactment america successful a amended presumption agelong word connected it."

Stanton began the play connected the injured database with tendon symptom successful some of his elbows -- a information called epicondylitis -- and didn't marque his play debut until June 16. The 35-year-old slugger has said he'll person to negociate the symptom this play aft electing to not acquisition surgery. Boone, however, said helium doesn't presently spot it arsenic an contented that would forestall Stanton from playing the outfield.

Stanton has been 1 of the Yankees' champion hitters since returning, batting .277 with 7 location runs and an .890 OPS successful 28 games.

"I mean, not close now, no," Boone said of moving Stanton to the outfield. "We'll spot arsenic we go. He'll commencement moving retired determination this week a small bit. Just to beryllium an enactment if and erstwhile Aaron gets backmost and nevertheless agelong helium has to DH until helium gets to the outfield. So, if there's things that travel up, past we'll adjust. But I'm not anticipating that."

With Judge connected the injured list, the Yankees' superior outfield configuration volition person Jasson Dominguez successful near field, Trent Grisham successful halfway tract and Cody Bellinger taking implicit for Judge successful close field.

Boone said Amed Rosario, a utilityman acquired from the Washington Nationals connected Saturday, volition play successful the country outfield spots successful summation to 3rd basal and 2nd base.

With Rosario's beardown accumulation against left-handed pitching this play -- he's hitting .299 with an .816 OPS -- the Yankees could usage him against lefties astatine 3rd basal to spell the left-handed-hitting Ryan McMahon, the Yankees' different caller acquisition, and successful the outfield implicit Dominguez, a switch-hitter with a .575 OPS successful 96 sheet appearances batting right-handed against left-handed pitchers.