Yankees star Aaron Judge unlikely to throw 'normally' again in 2025, outfield return still unclear

Gary Phillips, New York Daily News on Aug 19, 2025

Published in Baseball

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TAMPA, Fla. — With Aaron Judge still rehabbing a right flexor strain, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the superstar’s throwing will likely be compromised for the rest of the 2025 season.

“We’re trying to get through where he can let it go with ease and be able to protect himself, obviously,” the manager told WFAN before the Yankees began a two-game series in Tampa on Tuesday. “I don’t think we’re going to see him back to throwing like he normally does at any point this year, but that’s OK, too. But we’ve gotta feel like he can go out there and be able to protect himself and represent himself.”

Typically in possession of a deterring arm in right field, Judge has been restricted to DH duties since returning from the injured list on Aug. 5, as the Yankees wanted to get his MVP-caliber bat back in their lineup right away while he continued to heal his flexor on the side. Now it doesn’t sound like that arm will return to its full capabilities this season, but Judge is still expected back in the outfield at some point.

Boone just doesn’t expect that to happen in Tampa after he previously expressed hope that Judge could get back in the outfield during this road trip, which already stopped in St. Louis.

“I don’t know yet,” Boone said when asked where Judge is at. “I’m waiting on the trainers to kind of say, ‘Yeah, thumbs up.’ ”

Boone did say “maybe” when asked about Judge possibly returning to right field when the Yankees host the Red Sox later in the week, but he added, “I just don’t know yet.”

The skipper also said that he expected Judge to long toss again on Tuesday. He recently did so at 150 feet.

Judge sustained his flexor strain in Toronto on July 22. YES Network cameras caught Judge wincing after a throw that night, though he said he hurt himself on a different throw earlier in the game.

When the New York Daily News asked Judge about the grimace the following day, the All-Star, never eager to discuss injuries, replied, “I make facial expressions all the time” before DH’ing against the Blue Jays. Judge then played right on July 25, but he struggled to throw the ball in from the outfield.

Judge went on the IL two days later.

At the time of Judge’s diagnosis, Boone said that Judge’s ulnar collateral ligament, the ligament associated with Tommy John surgery, was intact.

“We expect him to recover,” Boone added at the time when asked if Judge will have to deal with his flexor injury for the rest of the season.

Back in 2019, former Yankee Aaron Hicks underwent offseason Tommy John surgery after originally landing on the IL with a right flexor strain. The outfielder and the Yankees initially said that surgery wouldn’t be necessary on his UCL, but Hicks got the procedure about three months after going on the IL and experienced an eight-month recovery.

With Judge still stuck DH’ing, Boone penciled Giancarlo Stanton back into right field on Tuesday at the Rays’ rented George M. Steinbrenner Field, which has the same dimensions as Yankee Stadium. Stanton has dealt with his own DH restrictions over the years, but he returned to right field after Judge was activated.

The red-hot and oft-injured slugger actually played three straight games in right at Yankee Stadium last week, but he had trouble recovering, experienced lower-body soreness and only made one pinch-hit appearance in St. Louis, where Busch Stadium has an expansive outfield.

Boone added that he doesn’t plan on Stanton playing Wednesday.

“We’ll start with that,” he said, “and then see where we are for the Boston series.”