"Giancarlo Stanton is no Rafael Devers" - Ex-Marlins president believes Aaron Judge's DH role will work due to superstar Yankees teammate

Seattle Mariners v New York Yankees - Source: Getty
Seattle Mariners v New York Yankees - Source: Getty

Aaron Judge was placed on the 10-day injured list by the New York Yankees, retroactive to Saturday, due to a flexor strain in his right elbow. He has no damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, which would've required a season-ending Tommy John surgery.

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The Yankees captain can't return to the lineup in the outfield as the injury primarily affects the throwing motion. He will have to play as the designated hitter, meaning their primary DH, Giancarlo Stanton, will have to move to the outfield.

Stanton has been injury-prone and has not played in the outfield since 2023. However, former Marlins president David Samson is confident that Aaron Boone won't have to worry much about the 2017 NL MVP.

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"He's no Rafael Devers," Samson said on his "Nothing Personal with David Samson" podcast on Monday (Timestamp: 59:29). "Giancarlo Stanton will do whatever you want in order to win because that's what he wants more than anything. Once you get the money, he wanted to win before he got paid. He wants to win after he got paid. He wants to win.
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"When he's asked to go play right field, what do you think? 'Hey, I'm not playing right field. I'm a DH. I haven't played right field since 2023.' Give me a break. When Aaron Boone says, 'Get your glove,' G gets his glove."
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Samson dragged Devers' name into his explanation, citing his refusal to play first base during his time with the Boston Red Sox. His hesitance was a primary reason the Red Sox traded him to the San Francisco Giants.

Ex-Marlins president doesn't want Yankees to rush Aaron Judge back

With the recent injury, Aaron Judge is expected to miss a maximum of two weeks. He is expected to rejoin the lineup as a designated hitter before moving to the outfield. Despite the injury diagnosis, Judge showed reluctance to be on the injured list, saying he would've preferred taking the DH role.

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Ex-Marlins president David Samson believes that the coaches and front office executives shouldn't pay heed to what Judge, or any injured player, is saying about returning.

"When players tell you they don't want to go on the IL, we ignore it," Samson said (Timestamp: 1:00:03). "Don't care what you say. When you've got a flexor strain, you're going on the IL. You're not going to tempt the manager. You're not going to tempt the player. You're not going to tempt the situation."
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"The situation where, hey, this is when Aaron Judge needs to hit. This is when Aaron Judge needs to play. You cannot tempt it. So, you put the player on the IL and that's the end of the discussion."

With Judge's absence, the 2025 American League MVP odds have put Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh as the favorite. However, Samson doesn't think the result is a foregone conclusion. He believes Raleigh now has a better chance, but Judge isn't out of the equation.

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Edited by Ribin Peter
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