The New York Yankees lost to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, continuing a dismal stretch of baseball. They are 15-23 since June 15, the worst record in the American League in that stretch. The worst possible news came out to make matters worse, as Yankees captain Aaron Judge suffered an elbow injury. Aaron Boone has the latest on his IL stint and when to expect Judge back, per Greg Joyce of the New York Post.

“Aaron Judge did some toss-and-tee work in the cage today. He'll likely continue with that through the week before potentially facing velocity by this weekend, per Boone. The Yankees' hope continues to be that Judge will only miss the minimum 10 days,” Joyce reported.

Judge suffered an injury to the flexor muscle in his right elbow. That could make fielding difficult for him, but the designated hitter role could get him back in the lineup soon. But that puts Giancarlo Stanton in the outfield, which he has not played with regularity in years.

The Yankees are far closer to the first spot out of the playoffs than they are to the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East lead. While the season is far from over, their problems have been stagnant for years. They are not a good defensive team, make plenty of outs on the bases, and have a thin bullpen.

The Yankees need Judge back, even if it is as a designated hitter. They scored two runs on Monday, both on walks with the bases loaded. After the first inning, they only put two runners on base. Without their best offensive player, things are not going to get easier for the Bombers. It's been all good news from Judge so far, which should give Yankees fans hopes for the regular season and October.

Max Fried takes the ball against the Rays on Tuesday.

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