Yankees don't expect Judge (calf) to play in Wild Card series
Passan: Yankees in flux with Aaron Judge back on IL with calf strain (1:41)
Jorge CastilloSep 22, 2026, 12:12 PM ET
- 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 -- Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he does not expect to have Aaron Judge available for the wild-card series next week, though he did not completely rule out the star right fielder recovering from his calf strain in time to play.
"We're planning on him not being a part of that," Boone said Tuesday before the Yankees hosted the Tampa Bay Rays for a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.
Judge was placed on the injured list with a right calf strain Friday, two days after exiting a game against the Minnesota Twins. Judge and the team declined to specify the severity of the injury through the weekend. On Tuesday, Boone labeled it a "moderate grade" strain. He said Judge received a PPP injection Monday.
Judge sustained the injury in his seventh game back after missing more than three months with a fractured rib. The three-time MVP returned without going on a rehab assignment and went 4 for 23 with 13 strikeouts, one walk, and one home run in 24 plate appearances.
The Rays entered Tuesday's doubleheader with a magic number of one to clinch the American League East title with seven games remaining. Barring a Rays collapse, the Yankees will host the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card series for the second consecutive year.
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