NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees star Aaron Judge won’t need surgery on his elbow but shortstop Anthony Volpe and left-hander Carlos Rodón had operations this week and could be sidelined until May.
Judge’s throwing was limited after the two-time AL MVP hurt the flexor tendon in his right elbow in July. Manager Aaron Boone said Thursday an MRI after last week showed “no surgery is going to be needed.”
“He’ll take some time off and continue to do strengthening things and rehab and stuff, but felt like he finished the season in a pretty good place as we saw continued improvements,” Boone said.
Volpe and Rodón are projected to start the season on the injured list and could be sidelined until May, Boone and general manager Brian Cashman said at their end-of-season news conferences.
Volpe, the Yankees shortstop since 2023, had arthroscopic surgery Tuesday with head team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad to repair the labrum in his left shoulder. Boone said Volpe can start hitting in four months but can’t dive on the shoulder for six months.
“The cleanup was more severe than the MRI result,” Cashman said.
Rodón was operated on Wednesday by Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache to remove loose bodies in his left elbow and shave a bone spur. He has eight weeks of no throwing.
Giancarlo Stanton, who didn’t make his season debut until does not need surgery.
“He’s in a pretty good place,” Boone said. “He’ll treat it and everything but nothing expected for Big G.”
Gerrit Cole, returning from Tommy John surgery in March, will throw lightly off a mound next week and could be available not far after opening day.
New York has a record 27 World Series titles but none since 2009. After , the Yankees lost a four-game Division Series to Toronto.
“It’s just playing at the highest level at the most important time and you’ve got to maintain that and do that for the entire month of October,” said Boone, the manager since the 2018 season.
After in the 2024 World Series, New York started the season 35-20, slumped during a 25-34 stretch as its bullpen struggled, then closed 34-14 and .
“Could I have been more creative in some of the things that I could have done in those games in the middle of the season where we were a little short?” Boone asked out loud.
Boone’s contract runs through 2027.
“He’s one of the better managers,” Cashman said. “Because of our environment, he’s someone that can be second-guessed 10 million times over. And I don’t care who you put in that, that would be the same, whoever else would be there. I trust him. I think he’s a good man. I think he works his tail off.”
Among potential free agents, Cashman said the Yankees would like to retain Cody Bellinger.
“We’d love to have him with our team moving forward,” he said.
Bullpen coach Mike Harkey and first base/infield coach Travis Chapman won’t return for 2026, assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler won’t be in that role and minor league hitting coordinator Jake Hirst will be taking that job. Cashman said third base coach Luis Rojas was given permission to interview for and hitting coach James Rowson was allowed to interview for .
Judge hurt his elbow making a throw at Toronto on July 22. The 33-year-old from a 10-day stint on the injured list caused by the and threw gingerly upon his . He gradually built up arm strength.
Judge led the major leagues with a .331 average and 1.145 OPS, hitting 53 homers with 114 RBIs and 124 walks. He hit .500 with one homer, seven RBIs and four walks in the postseason.
Volpe on May 3 in an unsuccessful attempt for a backhand stab on Christopher Morel’s eighth-inning single, which sparked a two-run rally in . He returned to the lineup two days later but struggled for much of the season.
Volpe, 24, had a cortisone shot during the All-Star break and a , three days after aggravating the shoulder while making a diving stop on Isiah Kiner-Falefa in a . Volpe hit .212 with 19 homers and a career-high 72 RBIs and then .192 with one homer, two RBIs and 16 strikeouts in seven postseason games. He went 1 for 15 with 11 strikeouts in the AL Division Series, making out in his last 13 at-bats.
In the field, Volpe made a career-high 19 errors, tied for third-most among major league shortstops.
“The offense is really in line with what he’s done the first two years. For him to become that frontline shortstop, that’s got to improve. He understands that. We understand that,” Boone said. “He’s 24 years old.”
Rodón, who turns 33 in December, was 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA. Cashman said the team learned recently of the need for surgery.
Jasson Domínguez remains in the outfield mix after a down season in his return from Tommy John surgery and may play winter ball. Spencer Jones, a 24-year-old power-hitting, strikeout-prone outfielder, would have a chance to win a roster spot in spring training.
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