Could Aaron Judge actually take the field for the New York Yankees?
The prevailing thought is that New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge will not be available for the Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox as a result of a calf strain he suffered on Sept. 16.
It hasn't even been two weeks since the injury, and over the weekend, manager Aaron Boone said that Judge hadn't done much of anything yet.
That since has changed.
On Monday, Boone provided a sudden update on Judge, stating that the three-time AL MVP has started hitting and throwing indoors and that he may participate in live batting practice Monday afternoon.
Boone then said the team would listen to the trainers and medical staff to see where Judge stands before the series begins on Tuesday night.
It still seems highly unlikely that Judge will be ready for Game 1, and even if he is, you have to assume it would be in a designated hitter role.
The more likely scenario seems to be Judge returning for the Division Series, if the Yankees get there. Calf injuries are no joke, and Judge specifically injured the soleus muscle, which is connected to the Achilles tendon. That's pretty scary.
Judge missed over three months due to a rib stress fracture between June and September. He returned on Sept. 8 and went 4-for-23 with a home run and three RBI over 24 plate appearances before suffering the calf injury just over a week later.
During the time he has been on the field in 2026, Judge has slashed .241/.360/.511 with 18 home runs and 41 RBI across 285 trips to the dish. The .871 OPS marks his lowest since his debut in 2016, when he posted a .608 OPS in 27 games.
The 34-year-old is still aiming to win a World Series, so you can understand why he is so anxious to return. But the Yankees absolutely need to be careful with him.
Meanwhile, New York could be getting Giancarlo Stanton back for the Wild Card Series. Stanton has been sidelined with a calf issue since late April and has dealt with multiple setbacks in his recovery.
After straining his other calf last month, the general consensus was that Stanton would be out for the remainder of the year, but he has made stunning progress over the last few weeks and could end up on the playoff roster.
The Yankees will have to submit their Wild Card roster by Tuesday. Game 1 against the Red Sox will take place Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. ET.
