Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has taken over as the American League MVP favorite with his closest rival, Aaron Judge, heading to the injured list.

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.

Cal Raleigh is on quite a tear, stacking up home runs in bunches for the Seattle Mariners. In the process, he's established himself as a top candidate for American League Most Valuable Player honors this season.