Aaron Judge is likely out for the AL Wild Card Series vs. Boston. “We’re planning on him not being a part of that,” Aaron Boone said.
Judge had a PPP injection in his right calf during the off-day.
MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch shared that update Tuesday. Boone confirmed that Judge has a “moderate grade” calf strain.
A moderate strain falls short of a Grade 3 injury, which would indicate a torn muscle. Even a Grade 1 calf strain generally requires two to three weeks of recovery.
Judge got injured on Sept. 16 and his return timeline now faces considerable doubt.
Concerning Update on Aaron Judge Brought Forward
Dr. Jesse Morse is a board-certified family and sports medicine physician. He specializes in regenerative treatments, including PRP and stem cell therapy.
“Aaron Judge is dealing with a grade 2 soleus (calf) strain,” Morse wrote on X. “These usually take 6-8 weeks to return to play. Sometimes you can push them to 3-4 weeks with super potent stem cells. If PPP was truly chosen, that is an interesting choice, as this is the ‘weaker’ part of PRP. I’m not sure Judge plays again this season.”
Judge strained the calf Sept. 16. Morse’s accelerated three-to-four-week window points to a return between Oct. 7 and Oct. 14.
The AL Division Series runs Oct. 3-10. The AL Championship Series runs Oct. 12-20 if it goes seven games. At the earliest, Judge would return during the Division Series. The later date, Oct. 14, falls during the ALCS.
That is the fast track. The standard six-to-eight-week recovery points to a return between Oct. 28 and Nov. 11.
The World Series opens Oct. 23, and a potential Game 7 falls on Oct. 31. The low end of the standard range lands on Oct. 28, a potential World Series Game 5. The high end falls after the season ends.
Judge’s return to the field is in serious question.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal flagged this exact risk on “Foul Territory”. He said a player who skips a rehab assignment misses the game conditions needed to get back into shape.
Rosenthal described Judge playing for a week and then getting hurt as the worst outcome. He listed the possibilities: “some kind of lower-leg muscle, an oblique, whatever the case might be.” Rosenthal said that could cost the New York Yankees for the whole season.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. Returns as Rays Clinch AL East
The Yankees reinstated Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the 10-day injured list Tuesday. Chisholm went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in his return in the nightcap. The Tampa Bay Rays won 6-1 and clinched their fifth AL East title.
During his IL stint, Anthony Volpe filled in. There are questions about his role after Chisholm returned.
Volpe started at second base in the opener. The Yankees won that game 2-0 behind eight scoreless innings from Carlos Rodón. He went hitless and struck out three times. His strikeout in the fourth stranded runners on second and third.
In September, he is batting .263 with a .695 OPS in 11 games, while Chisholm is averaging .333 with a .893 OPS.
New York Yankees Dealt Concerning Aaron Judge News by Doctor