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New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge is headed back to the injured list with a right calf strain, putting his availability for the final days of the regular season and the playoffs in question.
The Yankees announced Friday that they will place Judge on the 10-day injured list Saturday. The move can start from Thursday, giving Judge a chance to return for the regular-season finale against the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 27.
Judge left Wednesday’s 5-4, 13-inning loss to the Minnesota Twins after experiencing tightness in his lower right leg. He said he first noticed the issue during the opening inning but tried to continue playing before ultimately leaving the game.
“I tried to kind of play it off and see how long we could go, because these games are important down the stretch,” Judge said. “But kind of talking it over, I thought it’d be the right move to come out, so I don’t cost the team on the field or cost the team on the basepath.”
Judge Returns to IL After Brief Comeback
The injury comes shortly after Judge returned from a fractured right rib that kept him out for more than three months.
Judge originally sustained the rib injury in April and continued playing for more than a month before landing on the injured list following a May 31 game against the Athletics. He returned Sept. 8 against the Colorado Rockies without going on a minor league rehabilitation assignment.
Judge struggled after returning, going 4-for-26 with 13 strikeouts and one extra-base hit over seven games. He finished his brief return with a .174 batting average and one home run.
Overall, Judge has hit .241/.360/.511 with 18 home runs and 41 RBIs in 66 games this season. His 1.9 WAR and 140 OPS+ still highlight his offensive impact, but the extended absence has limited him to his fewest games in a non-COVID season since his 2016 debut.
Judge also dealt with a calf strain in 2020 that kept him out for roughly three weeks, although the Yankees have not indicated whether his current injury will follow a similar timeline.
Yankees Face Key Stretch Without Judge
Judge will miss this weekend’s series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and will likely sit out the Yankees’ crucial four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays next week.
New York entered Friday five games behind Tampa Bay in the American League East but has already secured a playoff berth.
If the Yankees cannot close the gap on the Rays, they will likely host a Wild Card Series beginning Sept. 29. Judge’s earliest possible return would come just two days before the postseason begins, although his availability will depend on how quickly his calf heals.
The Yankees will finish the regular season with four games against Tampa Bay followed by a three-game series against Baltimore. Judge’s absence leaves New York without its captain during a critical stretch as the team tries to improve its playoff position.
For now, the Yankees will have to navigate the end of the regular season without their star slugger while waiting to learn whether Judge can return in time to contribute during the postseason.
