The Yankees are once again staring down an indefinite future without their best player. Aaron Judge is heading back to the injured list this Saturday with a right calf strain, an announcement that dropped Friday and sends a shiver through the Bronx faithful. This is an absolutely devastating blow for New York, especially since the team is publicly admitting they have no idea when Judge will return, or if he will even be a factor for them in the postseason.
The Rust and the Return: Judge’s Short Comeback
Judge played in just seven games since his last IL return a week ago. Think about that: seven games after being sidelined for 99 days with a fractured right rib. He skipped a rehab assignment entirely, and in those 24 plate appearances, he hit just .174 (4-for-23) with a single home run, two runs scored, three RBI, one walk, and a whopping 13 strikeouts. You could see the rust, no doubt. The dude was shut down from physical activity for over three months. But just as he looked like he was starting to find his timing during their series in Minnesota, and the lineup around him finally looked complete and dominant, BAM. Another injury. This latest setback just put an enormous dent in New York’s chances of going back to the World Series.
“Lower Body” Mystery: What’s Really Going On?
The whole situation around Judge’s calf strain has been, frankly, pretty secretive. When reporters pressed Judge on Wednesday about what he was dealing with, he just said “lower body.” The Yankees called it “leg tightness.” This after they plastered social media with a dozen posts celebrating his big return last week. Yankees manager Aaron Boone sounded defeated when asked in Phoenix if Judge would be back for the postseason. “I don’t know,” Boone told reporters, adding he wasn’t “going to predict anything.” The severity of this calf strain remains unclear. Judge himself didn’t even make himself available to reporters before Friday’s game against the Diamondbacks. Earlier, on Wednesday, after exiting the Minnesota game in the sixth, Judge downplayed the injury, saying it was something he’d experienced before during past spring training ramp-ups and didn’t believe it warranted extra tests. Good on the Yankees, then, for pushing for additional imaging on Thursday when the pain just would not go away. Boone was “concerned” when he learned more tests were needed, even after Judge had received treatment. Eventually, an MRI revealed the dreaded calf strain.
Pivotal Series Ahead and a Race Against Time
Calf strains are notoriously tricky injuries, with recovery timelines all over the map. Most can heal in about six weeks, but severe ones can drag on much, much longer. Just look at Giancarlo Stanton, who hasn’t played since April 24 after battling multiple calf strains this season, one on each leg. Francisco Lindor missed 56 games with a left calf strain this season, while Juan Soto only missed 16 with a right calf strain back in April. The timing could not be worse for New York, with the Yankees set to host the Rays in a pivotal four-game series in the Bronx next week. New York, sitting at 88-64, entered Friday five games behind Tampa Bay (93-59) for first place in the AL East. Judge’s IL stint can be backdated, making him eligible to return on September 27 against the Orioles, which is the final game of the regular season. But without knowing the full severity, most calf strains take longer than 10-14 days to heal. That Rays series just got a whole lot tougher without their big man in the lineup.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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