Judge says he intends to be available for G1 of AL Wild Card Series

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  Jorge CastilloSep 23, 2026, 06:04 PM ET

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  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

NEW YORK -- New York Yankees star Aaron Judge is not giving up on being available for the start of the postseason.

The three-time MVP told ESPN on Wednesday that he intends to be ready for Game 1 of the Wild Card series at Yankee Stadium next Tuesday.

"That's what the plan is," Judge said. "Try to get my body ready so I'm ready to go."

Judge was placed on the injured list Saturday with a right calf strain, ending his regular season. He later specified that the strain is in the soleus muscle, which he noted is essential for running and hitting. He confirmed that he received a PPP injection Monday and was waiting for clearance to resume activity that involved the leg.

On Tuesday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he does not expect to have Judge available for the Wild Card series, though he did not rule out the possibility.

"We're planning on him not being a part of that," Boone said.

Judge, 34, said he's had discussions with decision-makers in the organization about his prognosis, which has not been made clear publicly.

"We've done a lot of talks, but I can't control what people say," Judge said. "So you'll have to talk to them about that."

Asked if he expects to be on the roster, Judge said he didn't know.

"I don't make the roster," Judge said. "I've got no idea."

Judge said he suffered the injury during the Yankees' 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 16, in his seventh game back after missing more than three months with a fractured rib. He and the club were initially hopeful that it was minor, but he underwent an MRI on Thursday that revealed the strain.

Judge went 4-for-23 with 13 strikeouts, one walk, and one home run in 24 plate appearances after returning from his fractured rib without a rehab assignment. Overall, he batted .241 with 18 home runs and an .871 OPS in 66 games, which include playing with the fractured rib for over a month until late May.

The Yankees went 41-25 and averaged 5.12 runs per game with Judge in the lineup this season. Entering Wednesday, they're 49-42 and averaging 4.15 runs per game without him. They will likely face the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card series for the second consecutive postseason after knocking out their rivals in three games with Judge in their lineup last October.

"We've got games to win," Judge said. "I'm getting paid to play games for the New York Yankees so I'll get back as soon as I can."