Aaron Judge is not expected to be available for the New York Yankees when they begin the American League wild-card series next week as he continues to recover from a moderate calf strain.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that the team is planning to be without Judge for the postseason opener. Judge also received a platelet-poor plasma injection in his injured leg.
Judge sustained the right calf injury on September 16 in Minnesota, just seven games into his return from a rib fracture that had sidelined him for 75 games.
New York entered Tuesday with an 89-66 record and was in position to secure the top American League wild-card spot with one more victory. The Yankees are expected to face Boston in the best-of-three wild-card series.
The Yankees have several options to fill Judge’s spot in the lineup. Heliot Ramos, acquired from San Francisco at the trade deadline, is expected to receive additional opportunities. Ramos has struggled since joining New York, batting .172 with a .672 on-base-plus-slugging percentage and four home runs in 32 games, but he previously hit at least 20 home runs in each of the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
New York is also monitoring the status of center fielder Trent Grisham, who has been sidelined since September 4 with a hamstring injury. Boone said Grisham was unlikely to return before the end of the regular season but could potentially be available for the wild-card series.
Should the Yankees advance past the wild-card round, the American League Division Series is scheduled to begin Saturday, October 3, giving Judge additional recovery time.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.