Yankees manager Aaron Boone said his best player avoided a much worse fate in terms of the injury. The team is optimistic he can return to the lineup as soon as he's eligible to be activated from his IL stint. He'll be eased in as the designated hitter to avoid putting too much strain on his elbow.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/yankees as Yankees' Aaron Judge Facing Closest MVP Race in 75 years. Aaron Judge is having another MVP-caliber season for the New York Yankees. But he might not have any hardware to show for it.

Aaron Judge, New York's superstar slugger and leading candidate in the AL MVP race, will be placed on the IL with a flexor strain in his right elbow, Boone told reporters Saturday. There is no tear to the UCL.