Aaron Judge is sidelined with a moderate strain in the soleus muscle of his right calf and was left off the Yankees’ AL Wild Card Series roster against the Boston Red Sox.
Injury details and timeline
Judge suffered the calf injury on Sept. 16 while playing against the Minnesota Twins. He left the game early and was later placed on the 10-day injured list.
The injury came shortly after Judge returned from a stress fracture in his right rib that had kept him out from late May until early September. He played only seven games before the calf problem forced him back onto the injured list.
The soleus muscle plays an important role in running and pushing off the ground. A moderate calf strain can take several weeks to heal. Judge also received a platelet-poor plasma injection around Sept. 21 as part of his treatment.
Why isn’t Judge playing?
Judge has made progress in his recovery. He has been hitting and throwing indoors, using an anti-gravity treadmill and taking live batting practice.
On Sept. 28, he took four plate appearances during a live batting practice session, drawing two walks, striking out once and hitting a ground ball.
But Judge has not yet returned to running the bases or playing in the outfield.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Judge was “not quite there yet” and was not ready to return to full baseball activity.
“I think he’s had a good couple of weeks of really grinding and doing everything he possibly can to be an option,” Boone said. “We just felt like he’s not quite there yet. Hopefully we’re able to move on and he spends these next few days continuing to work his way back.”
The Yankees ultimately decided not to put him on their 26-man roster for the Wild Card Series.
Ahead of the Yankees’ American League wild-card Game 1, Judge was asked if Yankees will put him on the wild-card roster and potentially in the lineup.
He replied, “I’ve been doing a lot of convincing. I feel like I’m going to keep doing that. But I think the most important thing is just making sure I’m healthy and ready to go for this long stretch.
“We got another month of baseball to play so I want to be ready for the long run we’re going to go on here for this next month. We’re all going to be smart, but I think they all know I want to be out there, especially that first game.”
On the eve of the American League Wild Card Series, the reigning AL MVP continued to make his case for being included on the 26-man roster, both publicly and behind closed doors. Boone said he met with Judge and the club’s athletic trainers after Monday’s workout.
“We just sat down and talked about it, kind of worked through it,” Boone said. “We’ve got a long-standing relationship. We just had a frank, honest relationship and made a call.”
Judge hopes to return to his regular position in right field instead of being relegated to duty as a designated hitter or a reserve.
Regarding concerns over potentially coming back too quickly and getting re- injured, Judge said, “Guys take risks every single day. I know a lot of guys in here are banged up and dealing with stuff. So yeah, I understand the risks. I’ve got it all.”
When could Aaron Judge return?
There is no firm return date.
Judge is continuing his rehabilitation with the hope of being available for the AL Division Series if the Yankees advance past the Red Sox.
For now, Judge remains unavailable for the Wild Card Series. If the Yankees advance, the ALDS could provide his next opportunity to return.
