On Sunday, the New York Yankees will play the final game of their regular season against the Baltimore Orioles. Before that, Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed that he had spoken with outfielder Aaron Judge after his comments about the latter’s calf strain were reported with the two entities not seeming on the same page at the time.
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“At the end of the day, we’re all in this together,” Boone said, according to Bryan Hoch’s post on X. “In his [Aaron Judge] case, we’re trying to get him right and get him healthy so he can be an option for us here at some point. We’re also going to listen to the injury. I see it as just a passionate player that’s doing all he can to get back for his teammates.”
So, the obvious question now is: What happened when the team is having a strong season and sitting in second place in the 2026 AL East standings?
Last Tuesday, reports emerged quoting Boone as saying that the Yankees did not expect to have Judge available for the Wild Card Series next week. Boone described the injury as a moderate-grade strain, although he did not completely rule out the possibility of Judge returning.
Then, the very next day, Judge offered his own perspective.
On Wednesday, before the New York Yankees faced the Tampa Bay Rays, the 34-year-old outfielder said he was planning to be available at the start of the postseason. After the game, he was asked whether he could be ready for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series despite what had been described as a significant strain.
“Everybody’s ‘moderate’ is a little different. I don’t know why he [Aaron Boone] used those words. Like I’ve said, I’m trying to come back as soon as I can,” he said.
When asked about weighing the risk of returning from a calf strain, the three-time MVP explained his approach.
“I weigh it like this: we have a great team, and we have a great opportunity in front of us. The future is not guaranteed, good or bad. My job is to do whatever I can to get back,” Judge said.
Now, if you are wondering whether Judge will play in Sunday’s game, the answer is no.
The outfielder suffered the injury during the New York Yankees’ September 16 game. The timing made the situation even more concerning because Judge had just returned after missing more than three months with a fractured rib.
An MRI on Thursday confirmed that Judge had suffered a strain. Later, he was placed on the injured list and spoke to the media about the injury, identifying it as a strain in the soleus muscle of his calf.
Regardless, the Tampa Bay Rays have already secured the top position with 96 wins, so the Yankees (92 wins) wouldn’t want to risk Judge for their final three games against the Orioles.
Around the same time, a social media post from Jomboy Media’s Max Mannis went viral.
Mannis wrote that Judge “might be screwed for the playoffs.” The latest update, however, is that the outfielder is eligible to return from the injured list. Boone also confirmed that Judge is ‘doing everything he can to make his calf heal as speedy as possible.’
Yankees fans will certainly want to see their star outfielder back on the field. Still, the bigger question remains: Is it safe for him to return so soon after suffering a calf injury?
A few specialists have shared their views on the situation.
Aaron Judge’s return to the field could be tricky
On Thursday, former MLB player Kevin Pillar recalled a particular situation while discussing Judge’s chances of returning. The player he brought up was former Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson.
“I played with a guy, Josh Donaldson, who had calf problems, you know, towards the end of his career. And, you know, he had a lot longer time in between, you know, some of his moderate calf strains and, you know, rehab assignments and all the sort of things that you would normally do in order to come back,” Pillar said.
Ultimately, the injury cost Donaldson considerable time during his career. For Judge, the situation could be even more complicated because he has only recently returned from another injury.
“It does seem like a long shot for him to be able to come back so soon after a calf injury,” Pillar conceded.
Jesse Morse, a well-known sports physician, also offered his perspective on the recovery timeline for this type of injury.
“These usually take 6-8 weeks to return to play. Sometimes you can push them to 3-4 weeks with super potent stem cells. If PPP was truly chosen, that is an interesting choice as this is the ‘weaker’ part of PRP,” Morse wrote on X.
Notably, Judge received a PPP injection on Monday. So, is his recovery progressing in the right direction?
For now, Morse remains doubtful about Judge’s chances of returning this season. With the postseason approaching, the Yankees will have to solve complex equations regarding their star player’s availability.