The New York Yankees progressed through the regular season, anticipating Aaron Judge’s return to the lineup after his injury. After 99 days, Judge returned, much to the Yankees’ relief. But that relief lasted only seven days, as Judge went back to the IL with a calf strain. Now, with the Yankees’ postseason plans in jeopardy, a former manager has weighed in.

“The season goes on, and it’s an opportunity for somebody. Aaron Judge- nobody’s going to replace him,” said Buck Showalter on Foul Territory. “By the way, he should have gone on rehab, but that’s a story for another day. I just think there’s still a chance that he comes back and plays and everything’s okay. You start talking about calf; that’s a different animal.”

Across 22 seasons, Showalter has managed five different teams, including the Yankees, the Arizona D-backs, the Texas Rangers, the Baltimore Orioles, and the New York Mets. Showalter’s vast experience as a manager makes his opinion on the Yankees’ current situation more valuable. He managed the Yankees from 1992 to 1995.

After recovering from the rib injury, Judge opted to skip a rehab assignment and returned directly to the lineup.

He called it a waste of at-bats. Though he went through simulated batting practice, he faced live pitchers directly on the field.

Skipper Aaron Boone was cautious not to overwork him.

In his first game against the Colorado Rockies, Judge went hitless, and to his disappointment, he was pulled early. Heliot Ramos replaced him in the lineup. However, the strategy ultimately did not work.

“…I wouldn’t completely write him off there,” said Showalter on Foul Territory. “But when the player association made it where you didn’t have to go on rehab, I’d like to know the thought behind that.”

During the Yankees’ 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins, lower right leg tightness forced the Yankees’ captain to exit in the sixth inning.

According to reports, Judge first felt discomfort in the first frame and tried to play through it. But when that did not alleviate, he informed Boone, instead of playing through the pain as during his rib fracture.

The manager pulled him from the game and sent Ramos to pinch-hit.  

Judge later mentioned that he believes the calf injury was actually a nagging Spring Training issue that flared back up.

“I usually deal with calf stuff all year long. It usually doesn’t get to you guys [in the media], and I usually don’t miss any games. So that was kind of the same thing I was feeling. I was working my way back, and then something kind of grabs you at a strange time,” Judge shared with the media.

In August 2020, he was diagnosed with a Grade 1 or even lower right calf strain, leading the manager to place him on a 10-day IL. It was the same game where Judge recorded the hardest-hit home run in the Statcast era (119.4 mph exit velocity) by that point in the season. But that strain may have made sense because the captain played in all 17 games before the injury. But the sequence of events feels eerily similar.

After missing nearly two weeks, he hurt himself on the first game back in the same month. The same right calf. Back then, he was sidelined until mid-September.

Coming back to this season, during the seven days of his return, Judge has gone 4-for-23, with a homer and 3 RBI, while batting just .174. He was struck out 13 times in 23 at-bats. But the captain doesn’t regret his decision.

While he acknowledged that he was trying to work his way up to be ready by the postseason, he would have definitely been more frustrated had this same issue occurred in a rehab game. But Aaron Judge’s focus remains the same.

The Yankees placed him on the 10-day IL on Sept. 19 (retroactive to 17), and he is eligible to return on the last day of the regular season. While on Saturday, the captain shared that he is unaware of the grade of his recent strain and that he would need to discuss the same with his trainers for a clearer picture, he remains hopeful.

“I’d like to be back by the postseason,” Judge said. “That’s definitely the plan. [It’s the] 10-day IL, so the 10th day is probably the last game of the season. So we’ll see. I’ve got really no answers for you on any timeline or anything like that.”

If the Yankees don’t secure the AL East title this week, they will have to play the Wild Card Games, which begin on September 29. And the last game of the regular season will be on the 27th against the Baltimore Orioles.

With the postseason berth already secured, the Yankees have a difficult decision to make.

The question is whether to activate Judge on the last day of the regular season or give him an additional day of rest (September 28) before the playoffs officially start.

Boone has a few days to decide, and he has assured that the team will work only on that, not focus on the grade of the strain.

With Monday off, the Yankees will begin their 4-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.