Yankees brace for Wild Card Series without Aaron Judge
The short version
- Aaron Judge is expected to miss the Yankees' Wild Card Series with a moderate right calf strain.
- Judge is eligible to return September 27, two days before the best-of-three series opens September 29 vs. Boston.
- The calf injury followed his September 8 return from an 84-game absence caused by a fractured right rib.
- Judge is hitting .241 with 18 home runs in 66 games in 2026, down from his 53-homer MVP season in 2025.
- New York has the AL's top Wild Card spot and will host Boston at Yankee Stadium.
A moderate right calf strain is expected to keep the Yankees captain out of New York's best-of-three opening playoff series against Boston.
Aaron Judge is expected to be unavailable for the New York Yankees' first postseason series this year after an MRI revealed a moderate strain in his right calf. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters the team is building its Wild Card Series plans around the assumption that Judge will not be available.
The injury occurred on September 16 in Minnesota. Judge noticed stiffness in his lower right leg during the first inning at Target Field, stayed in the game, and was lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth. Imaging performed the following day showed damage to the soleus muscle in the calf.
New York transferred Judge to the 10-day injured list on September 19, backdated to September 17. That paperwork makes September 27 — the final day of the regular season — the first date he can be activated. The Wild Card Series opens September 29, giving Judge just a two-day window between eligibility and the start of the playoffs. No firm return date has been set, and Boone has not specified a grade for the strain.
The calf problem interrupted a brief comeback. Judge had missed more than three months with a fractured right rib, sitting out 84 games before rejoining the lineup on September 8 against Colorado without a minor league rehab stint. He went 4-for-23 over seven games, with his lone home run in that stretch a three-run shot against Minnesota on September 14.
Judge's 2026 production has dropped sharply from his MVP campaign of a year ago. In 66 games this season he is hitting .241 with 18 homers, 41 RBIs, a .360 on-base percentage and a .511 slugging percentage. In 2025 he played 152 games, batted .331 with 53 home runs, 114 RBIs, 137 runs and a 1.145 OPS while winning the American League MVP.
The Yankees clinched a playoff spot before Judge went down, reaching the postseason for the third straight year and the eighth time in Boone's nine seasons at the helm. New York has since locked up the American League's top Wild Card position and will host a best-of-three series at Yankee Stadium beginning September 29. Boston has also clinched and is the current projected opponent, though its final seeding is not yet settled. Two losses in the short series end a season.
Replacing Judge in the middle of the order is the immediate challenge. Cody Bellinger said the slugger cannot truly be replaced but voiced confidence in the roster's depth. Ben Rice, Bellinger, Luis Garcia Jr. and Spencer Jones each carried larger roles during Judge's absences this year and helped keep the club in postseason position.
Health questions extend beyond Judge as the playoffs approach. Trent Grisham is recovering from a right hamstring strain, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. came off the injured list on September 22 after spraining his right thumb. Judge, a three-time MVP who holds the American League single-season record of 62 home runs set in 2022, entered this stretch with 386 career homers and a .291 career average.
Fans can catch the Yankees' next game on Friday, September 25, when the Baltimore Orioles visit Yankee Stadium at 7:05 PM EDT. Coverage is available on MLB.TV, MASN and YES.
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