Friday evening, before their game in Arizona, the Yankees placed Aaron Judge on the 10-day injured list. Two days earlier, Judge had departed a contest mid-inning because of a right calf strain. The announcement came just before the start of play, and it lands at an inconvenient moment. The Wild Card Series opens Tuesday, Sept. 29, which makes Judge’s availability for the postseason seriously questionable.
The Strain That Changed Everything
The judge exited Wednesday because of the strain, a recurring issue for the hitter. He sat out more than three months earlier this season with a wrist injury and appeared in just seven games before being placed back on the injured list. Once again, he now faces a similar wait.
The Yankees still have 10 days before the end of the regular season, yet they could backdate the move. Doing so would make Judge available to come off the injured list on Sept. 27, which happens to be the last day of the season. Whether his body will permit it remains an open question.
A Timeline From 2020
A prior case shows how a calf strain works out. Judge had a strained calf and sat out about three weeks, per 2020. On a similar schedule this year, he would come back during the middle of the ALDS should the Yankees make it that far.
The best-case scenario is presented as a calculation. The worst-case scenario involves Judge never returning before the playoffs begin. Neither outcome is being predicted by the team.
Boone’s Honest Answer
When asked about Judge’s expected return, Manager Aaron Boone was blunt.
“I don’t know,” Boone told reporters on Friday. “I’m not going to predict anything.”
A manager whose team just lost its most important player gave that honest answer. The Yankees have already secured a spot in the playoffs, but their route through the Wild Card Series hinges on closing the gap with the Rays in the AL East. If the Yankees cannot catch the Rays, they will be in the Wild Card Series, which starts Tuesday, Sept. 29.
What Judge Has Done This Season
Judge has played in 66 games this season, hitting .241/.360/.511 (140 OPS+) with 18 homers, 41 RBI and 1.9 WAR. He homered against the Twins on Monday, but he was hitting just .174/.208/.304 in 24 plate appearances since returning from the wrist injury.
He has played fewer games this season than in any other non-COVID campaign since he arrived late in the season as a rookie. A wrist problem kept him sidelined for months, and now a calf strain is adding yet another pause to his routine.
How the Team Plays Without Him
Judge’s absence changes the Yankees. When he starts, they sit at 41-25. When he doesn’t, their record drops to 47-39. Among the most essential players to a team across all of baseball, Judge ranks among the very top.
The Schedule Ahead
Before closing out their season at home, the Yankees have three games in Arizona. Then they face a four-game series with the Rays and a three-game set with the Orioles. Judge will sit out all four games against the Rays.
The Yankees face a tight situation. They sit behind the Rays by five games, with a four-game series at Yankee Stadium waiting for next week. Judge’s absence means the team will need to find a way to win without its biggest weapon.
| Fixture | Date |
|---|---|
| Game vs. Arizona | Today |
| Final day of regular season | Sept. 27 |
| Wild Card Series begins | Sept. 29 |
| Four-game series vs. Rays | Next week |
The Bigger Picture
The Yankees have secured a place in the playoffs. What remains unknown is whether Judge will play in them. The team’s route to the World Series goes through him, and his absence would alter everything.
Pushing the date of the deal back gains a little room, though it solves nothing. The Yankees must run through the Wild Card Series missing their top player, then wait to see if he shows up again by the ALDS.
A championship-winning franchise built around Judge now finds itself in a postseason where he is not at full strength, and no one can say what happens next.
New York has secured a spot in the postseason. It still holds a remote chance at capturing the American League East title and the top seed in the league. Yet the club’s prospects grow hazy so long as Judge’s availability remains unknown.
Source material: “Yankees place Aaron Judge back on IL, making star slugger's status uncertain ahead of playoffs,” CBS Sports.
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