New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge will be placed on the injured list following a diagnosis of a flexor strain, as announced by manager Aaron Boone during a press conference on Saturday. Boone confirmed that Judge's ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is intact and indicated that the player is expected to serve as a designated hitter upon his return from the injured list.

Judge did not participate in the Yankees' 9-4 defeat against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, a game during which the elbow issue was initially reported. Boone revealed that Judge experienced difficulties throwing during Friday night's game against the Phillies. In the previous matchup, Judge recorded an RBI but did not secure any hits and struck out once in three at-bats, contributing to the Yankees’ 12-5 loss. YES Network commentators observed that Judge appeared to be in discomfort while making a throw in the seventh inning of the game against the Toronto Blue Jays earlier in the week.

Following a day off on Thursday, Boone noted that Judge felt improvement. However, during the series opener against the Phillies on Friday night, Boone mentioned that Judge was 'really dealing with it' and struggled to throw effectively from the outfield. This marked the first occasion this season that Judge was absent from the Yankees' lineup. Throughout his appearances thus far, Judge has been making a strong case for his second consecutive MVP award, currently leading Major League Baseball with a .342 batting average over 103 games. His absence coincided with the debut of third baseman Ryan McMahon, who was acquired from the Colorado Rockies to address the team's infield defense issues. McMahon, having hit three home runs in six games since the All-Star break, may also provide offensive support during Judge's anticipated short-term absence.