New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has received a stern warning from a doctor regarding his calf injury.
New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge is on the 10-day injured list due to a calf strain, and the chances of him returning for the Yankees' Wild Card Series seem rather slim.
Judge has said he would like to be back for the playoffs, but what Judge would like and what will actually happen are two entirely different subjects.
We don't have to look any further than Giancarlo Stanton to see just how tricky calf injuries can be, especially for bigger guys like Stanton and Judge.
Randy Miller of NJ.com recently spoke with Dr. Spencer Stein, a sports orthopedic surgeon, about what we can expect from Judge for the rest of 2026, and not surprisingly, Stein's outlook was very cautious.
While Stein outlined the "best-case scenario" for Judge, which would be a minor Grade 1 calf strain that could result in the 34-year-old returning in three weeks, Stein isn't so sure that will end up being the cas.
“I’ve seen studies there’s up to 50 percent chance of re-injury in these muscular injuries — hamstring injuries, calf muscle injuries,” Stein said. “There’s a high rate of retear, so it’s definitely a balance of not going back too quickly on them.”
Judge missed over three months due to a rib stress fracture between June and September. He returned on Sept. 8 and suffered the calf injury just over a week later.
The three-time MVP is understandably anxious to play, especially with the playoffs in full view. But Stein stated that Judge needs to be careful.
“Follow the instructions and take it day-by-day," Stein added. "Work with the therapists and trainers. Make sure your strength is there. You don’t want to rush it too much. You don’t want a long-term injury that keeps happening. You want to be able to come back, and we get that, but you do want to meet the criteria: Good strength with a good amount of flexibility in the knee and ankle area.”
Stein also said that the specific location of Judge's calf strain — the soleus muscle — is particularly concerning.
“The gastrocnemius, plantaris and soleus muscles comprise the calf, and the soleus muscle is a push-off muscle and part of the Achilles tendon,” he said. “There’s just a lot of force in that area, a lot of strain and stress, especially when you’re swinging a baseball bat.”
It's looking less and less likely that Judge will be back for the postseason, and the fact that the Yankees are being so mum on the injury (Aaron Boone refused to even confirm the grade of the strain) isn't exactly a great sign, either.
When healthy, New York may very well be the best team in the American League and would have a legitimate chance of challenging for a World Series title.
But right now, with Judge and Stanton both sidelined, not to mention all of the other injuries the Yankees are nursing, it could end up being a wasted season in the Bronx.
