ESPN | Jorge Castillo: The misfortune Yankees fans fear the most befell the team yesterday as we learned Aaron Judge will land on the IL with a right forearm flexor strain. He first started feeling discomfort when throwing the ball in the game against the Blue Jays on Tuesday and was held out of the lineup of the Yankees’ most recent loss to the Phillies. Judge and Aaron Boone admitted it could have been worse, MRI images revealing no damage to the UCL, so he will not require Tommy John surgery.
It is still an MVP-sized absence the Yankees will have to cover with Judge out for at least the next 10 days, and since he’ll exclusive DH time for at least a little while following his return, it’s possible Giancarlo Stanton could take some outfield reps in Judge’s stead.
CBS Sports | R.J. Anderson: One option the Yankees are not considering to cover Judge’s absence is a call-up of top prospect Spencer Jones. Jones has been tearing the cover off the baseball since his promotion to Triple-A at the start of the month, slashing .400/.457/.950 with 13 home runs in 19 games including three in one contest. However, he himself has missed the RailRiders’ last few games as he deals with back spasms and is not currently on the 40-man roster. There is also the question of interrupting the flow of his development and non-guaranteed game time, especially if Judge’s stint on the IL is a short one, and exposing a hitter with severe contact issues to major league pitching might not be the most prudent option at current.
MLB Trade Rumors | Mark Polishuk: If Judge is out for longer than the minimum IL stint, the Yankees’ need for hitting becomes even more acute. Shortly after the Judge news came down, reports came out indicating the Yankees have shown interest in Gold Glove utilityman Brendan Donovan. The Cardinals are said to be listening to offers though are leaning toward not trading their All-Star infielder, setting a “sky-high” asking price for a player under team control through 2027. The Yankees have long held an interest in Donovan, who has taken even another step from his first healthy and productive season last year, slashing .293/.360/.428 with nine home runs, 42 RBI, a 123 wRC+ and 2.4 fWAR in 97 games.
All that said, this report came out before last night’s late news of the Amed Rosario trade, which brought the versatile former Mets up-and-comer back to New York from the Nationals in exchange for Triple-A arm Clayton Beeter and Rookie ball outfielder Browm Martinez. So it’s possible that Rosario was the pivot if St. Louis indeed had those aforementioned “sky-high” demands for Donovan.
New York Post | Peter Botte: Ryan McMahon spoke about what has been a whirlwind 24 hours from the time of his trade to suiting up in pinstripes for the first time. The newest Yankee collected a single and walked in his first game with the team and made a sparkling defensive play at third. He reflected on his 12 years with Colorado and shared his excitement going from a last-place team to a playoff contender.
“I mean, this is every kid’s dream,” McMahon said. “When you’re 9, 10 years old, hitting in the backyard, you’re picturing yourself, Game 7, World Series at Yankee Stadium. So it’s gonna be pretty cool…Couldn’t pick a better spot.”
More from pinstripealley.com:
- Yankees acquire Amed Rosario from Nationals
- On the ranging impact of the Ryan McMahon trade
- Aaron Judge heading to the IL with a flexor strain
- Yankees Trade Deadline Coverage
- Yankees 2025 draft tracker: 18 of 19 draftees sign
- Pinstripe Alley’s Top 100 Yankees
- 2000 Yankees Diary: The 25th Anniversary of MLB’s Last Three-peat
