The New York Yankees are set to begin a series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday with a doubleheader scheduled.
Ahead of the first game, with just seven regular-season games remaining for the Yankees before the postseason, manager Aaron Boone shared some important updates on superstar Aaron Judge, who landed on the 10-day IL last week with a calf strain.
Yankees Announce Judge Update
While the earliest Judge could return is Sept. 27, that does not seem realistic at this point based on what Boone noted Tuesday.
Boone said Judge has a moderate calf strain and received an injection in his calf on Monday, which will keep him from doing much over the next few days,” via Chris Krischner of The Athletic.
Aaron Judge received an injection in his calf yesterday, so he won’t be doing much the next couple of days, Boone said.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) September 22, 2026
Judge’s Playoff Status With Yankees
As for Judge’s postseason status, Boone made it clear that he does “not expect” Judge to return for the Wild Card round, which begins next week. However, Boone did not rule him out.
“We’re not expecting him to be available for that,” Boone said.
If the standings hold, that best-of-three Wild Card series would take place in the Bronx against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, setting up a rematch of last season’s Wild Card matchup that New York won.
“We’re not planning on him being a part of that,” Boone said about Judge’s availability for the wild card series.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) September 22, 2026
Looking at the Yankees
Judge’s return to the IL wasn’t surprising after he spent just over a week back from the rib injury that sidelined him since late May.
He simply doesn’t have the recent workload to jump right back into the fire without some type of ramp-up process.
The hope remains that if the Yankees can advance, Judge will be able to return at some point in October.
New York Yankees Announce Important Aaron Judge Update Before Rays Series