Sep 30, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with teammates celebrates after game two in the Wildcard round of the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
BRONX, NY — The Yankees did not need Aaron Judge in their Wild Card Series demolition of the Boston Red Sox, which likely eased the pain of the superstar captain not being included on the initial postseason roster.
Despite an admirable effort to show the Yankees that he was ready, taking live batting practice on Monday, manager Aaron Boone did not see enough from Judge and his strained right calf to give him the green light.
Now, the challenge stiffens with the Tampa Bay Rays awaiting them in the ALDS, and four days off certainly won’t hurt Judge’s chances of getting back into the fold. So, will he play?
“We just finished the Wild Card,” Judge said in the Yankees clubhouse after their Game 2 clincher over Boston. “We’ll get into that as we get close. I got nothing for you yet, but I have an opportunity to get ready. That’s what I’ve been doing every day.”
What Judge is trying to do is certainly no easy feat. Grade 2 calf strains normally carry a six-to-eight-week timetable for a return. The 34-year-old is trying to accelerate his recovery to half the time.
“I’m a baseball player. I want to play,” Judge said. “But when the Yankees win, we all win.”
The problem is that Boone is unable to shuffle things around too much to accommodate Judge. With Paul Goldschmidt and Luis Garcia Jr. platooning at first base, 41-home-run hitter Ben Rice is serving solely as New York’s DH, meaning Judge would have to be able to hold things down in right field. That’s an even tougher ask, considering the hard turf at Tropicana Field in Tampa is not easy on a ballplayer’s legs.
Judge has been trying practically everything to move things along quickly. He was administered an experimental PPP (platelet-poor plasma) injection last week and is participating in all baseball activities — most importantly, running.
“I’ll be ready as fast as I can,” he said.
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