NEW YORK — Aaron Judge immediately knew something was wrong. He’d been hit by pitches before, and they never felt like this.

A day later, the New York Yankees slugger could smile. Sort of. His fractured right wrist will put him out for three weeks, not the rest of the season.

“It could’ve been a lot worse,” Judge said Friday night.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said it was “pretty realistic” that Judge should be able to play a game in three weeks. Asked whether that would be a minor league rehab appearance or a return to the Yankees’ lineup, Judge said he thought it meant the majors.

“With the Yankees,” the All-Star right fielder said, “I believe.”

Judge is hitting .285 with 26 home runs and 61 RBIs. Boone said Giancarlo Stanton will take over in right during Judge’s recovery — Stanton has split time in left field, right and at designated hitter.

Judge was nailed by a tailing fastball from Kansas City right-hander Jakob Junis in the first inning Thursday night.

“I had a bad feeling,” Judge said. “I didn’t have a good feeling when it hit me.”