For a team whose championship aspirations have hung in the balance with their captain’s return, the Yankees’ latest updates have seemingly confused many fans about how this postseason run may go.
On Tuesday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone gave the unfortunate news on Aaron Judge’s status for the upcoming Wild Card Series. “We’re planning on him not being a part of that,” Boone said via Bryan Hoch.
This came after Boone described the injury as a moderate-grade right calf strain. The Yankees gave Judge a PPP, or platelet-poor plasma injection, on Monday to speed up recovery.
Judge then told ESPN’s Jorge Castillo before Wednesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays that he isn’t giving up on missing the Wild Card round and intends to be ready.
“That’s what the plan is,” Judge said. “Try to get my body ready so I’m ready to go.”
In the post-game, after Wednesday’s 9-2 Yankee win, Judge furthered his displeasure at Boone for revealing the diagnosis: “I don’t know why he used those words,” he told Hoch.
Judge has already spent most of the season on the IL. He was out for 99 days with a right rib fracture and then returned for just seven games before suffering a right calf strain. In those seven games, Judge went 4-for-24 with 13 strikeouts and one home run. While he didn’t look like his MVP self, his presence in the lineup instantly elevates the entire offense.
Judge doesn’t make the last decision, but at 34, pushing yourself with a strained calf can be reckless. For what it’s worth, Boone did not rule out Judge returning for the Wild Card after Wednesday’s win over Tampa.
Is Judge Sacrificing His Health for the Playoffs?
Fans may not see Judge in pinstripes again until 2027. A grade two calf strain takes three to six weeks to heal, and rushing him back isn’t the play given how this recent catastrophe unfolded.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the injured part of Judge’s calf is attached to the Achilles. Athletes have tried to play through calf strains, including Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton in 2025 and Kevin Durant in the 2019 NBA Finals. Ultimately, both players tore their Achilles while playing through the injury and were sidelined for over a year.
Hall of Famer and former Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter had a similar fate 14 years ago. Jeter played on an injured ankle in the postseason and later broke it diving for a ball in the 2012 ALCS.
Playing on a strained calf is a ticking time bomb. One wrong movement and Judge could be out for all of 2027. Durant’s and Jeter’s situations are the blueprint for what the Yankees must avoid.
Can the Yankees Make It Past Boston?
Before eyeing Judge’s return, the Yankees must first manage Boston in the Wild Card. The Yankees have played most of the season without Judge and survived. In 66 games with Judge, the Yankees are 41-25; without him, they’re 50-42.
Even without Judge, the Yankee offense is deplorable enough to get them past the Wild Card Series. The Red Sox went on a miracle run, going 32-5 from June 25 to August 7. They lifted themselves out of a 32-46 hole and into a playoff push, but have cooled off recently, winning just 21 of their past 43 games.
The Yankees can beat Boston on the mound. New York’s pitching staff has been immaculate all year and the backbone of how they have made it this far. The team currently leads the majors in team ERA (3.21) and starters’ ERA (3.26). The Yankees’ pitching staff has held the Red Sox to just three runs per game and will have to keep that up to win the series.
Making it past the Red Sox may be harder than fans think. The panic meter shouldn’t be through the roof, but the Red Sox could use a wild card of their own to limit the Bronx Bombers.
Judge’s Injury Traps Yankees Offense
Losing your best hitter is a blow on its own, but it also affects who the Red Sox put on the mound against the Yankees. With Judge possibly out of the heart of the order, the lineup becomes very left-handed. Boston could start lefties, rookie Payton Tolle and Ranger Suarez, in games 1 and 2.
Tolle has dominated the Yankees in both starts this year, posting a 0.69 ERA with 18 strikeouts. Yankee hitters are just batting .093 off the southpaw. Suarez has been the opposite of Tolle versus the Yankees this season. In three starts, he has an ERA over six. In the postseason, Suarez becomes a completely different animal by pitching to a 1.48 ERA, the lowest postseason ERA since 2022.
If the Red Sox go this route, the Yankees will most likely deploy Paul Goldschmidt at first base. While Goldy crushes lefties, starting him forces New York to bench one of their two best hitters, Ben Rice or Luis Garcia Jr., for two straight games.
It’s hard to sit someone with 41 home runs in a playoff game, but the Yankees may just do that. Rice has been horrific against Boston all year. In 43 at-bats, Rice is hitting .163 with a homer and 16 strikeouts. Garcia, meanwhile, has hit the Red Sox well with a .368 average over 12 games this season. Either way, it creates a dilemma of surrendering Rice or Garcia for two-thirds of the game.
If Judge comes back, then a whole new problem arises. There is no way the Yankees will play him in the field. Judge would become a primary DH, forcing Boone to sit both Rice and Garcia or sit Goldschmidt against a lefty.
As the clash between New York and Boston approaches, the Yankees’ quest for a 28th title will begin with or without their captain.
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