New York Yankees fans just got hit with a gut punch: Aaron Judge is expected to miss the Wild Card Series. Manager Aaron Boone confirmed Tuesday that Judge won’t be on the roster as he battles a calf strain, leaving a massive hole in their lineup right when they need him most.
The Injury Saga Just Got Worse
This isn’t just a bump or bruise, folks. Judge got a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on Monday, and he’s completely shut down from baseball activities while that kicks in. He originally hobbled off the field last Wednesday with what Boone described as a “moderate” right calf strain. The worst part? This was only his seventh game back since fracturing a top right rib, an injury that kept him out for over three months! The guy has only played in 66 of New York’s 155 games this season, and depending on how this postseason mess plays out, we might not see him again in 2026. Brutal, absolutely brutal for the captain.
A Lineup Built on Lefty Hopes and Prayers
Judge’s brief return didn’t exactly light up the league either. He skipped a minor-league rehab assignment after that rib fracture, and man, it showed. In those seven games back, he went 4 for 23, hit a paltry .174, walked just once, and struck out a whopping 13 times. His timing at the plate was clearly off. Now, without Judge, and with center fielder Trent Grisham also recovering from a hamstring strain (his status is up in the air too!), the Yankees are leaning hard on some new faces. Rookie Spencer Jones is out in center, and trade deadline pickup Heliot Ramos is in right. Cody Bellinger is holding down left.
Boone’s likely Wild Card lineup is going to be incredibly lefty-heavy without Judge’s power bat: DH Ben Rice, LF Cody Bellinger, RF Heliot Ramos, 1B Luis Gárcia Jr., CF Spencer Jones, SS George Lombard Jr., 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr., 3B Ryan McMahon, C Austin Wells. That lineup screams for a right-handed slugger, and they’re sorely missing Judge’s heft. Ramos, brought in as a platoon guy against lefties, started slow but he’s been heating up recently, going 9 for 34 with three dingers and seven walks in his last 12 games, even hitting two of those homers against righties this past weekend. But he’s not Aaron Judge.
The Yankees have already clinched a postseason berth, which is something, but they’re still mathematically alive for the AL East crown. It’s a long shot, though. Starting Tuesday, they’ve got a huge four-game, three-day series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. One win for the Rays in that series clinches the AL East for them. The most likely scenario has the Yankees hosting their rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in the Wild Card Series next week. And guess what? The Red Sox have a very lefty-heavy pitching staff. This is going to be a wild ride, and without Judge, the odds just got a whole lot tougher for the Bronx Bombers.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply