It’s the Aaron Judge news no one wanted.
The New York Yankees captain is going back on the injured list — this time, the 10-day IL, after leaving action on Wednesday night.
Judge has a right-calf strain, and he’ll officially go on the IL on Saturday, which is when the Yankees will replace him on the active roster.
It’s not good timing at all. The Yankees are trying to chase down the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East Division, and Judge had just returned recently from an absence that had lasted more than three months.
Now, at best, the Yankees will get Judge back in a week-and-a-half — and that’s if the IL stint is at a minimum.
There’s always a chance that this calf strain lingers and prevents Judge from contributing again this season.
When Can Aaron Judge Come Back?
Judge will be eligible to return from the 10-day IL on Sunday, Sept. 27 — that’s because the 10 days on the IL begin with Thursday, Sept. 17, the first date on the calendar Judge didn’t play a game, rather than it being the day he’s actually put on the IL.
Sept. 27 is the last day of the regular season, and the Yankees take on the Baltimore Orioles.
If the Yankees don’t chase down the Rays and are in the AL Wild Card Series, they’ll begin that on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
“The timing means Judge will be inactive not only for this weekend’s series against the D-backs, but also a crucial four-game showdown against the Rays next week at Yankee Stadium,” MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch wrote in reporting the news.
When Judge came out of Wednesday’s 13-inning loss to the Twins, this is what he said after the game:
“I tried to kind of play it off and see how long we could go, because these games are important down the stretch. But kind of talking it over, I thought it’d be the right move to come out, so I don’t cost the team on the field or cost the team on the basepath.”
It wasn’t immediately clear at the time that Judge would require an absence, but clearly the Yankees felt this wasn’t going to heal in just a couple of days.
Aaron Judge’s Previous Injury
Judge hadn’t hurt his calf earlier this season. This was a new ailment.
He missed most of the season with a fractured right rib, which he is believed to have played with for about a month.
The Yankees placed him on the IL at the start of June, and he didn’t return until Sept. 8, an absence of more than three months.
The reigning AL MVP has hit 18 home runs in 66 games this season with an .871 OPS.
Without Judge, the Yankees will likely rely more on Heliot Ramos in the starting lineup to play the outfield. Ramos was acquired at the trade deadline from the San Francisco Giants, where he had been an everyday starter before having a smaller role in the Bronx.
The Yanks are already without Trent Grisham on the IL, and now he’s joined there by Judge.
This Is When Aaron Judge Can Return From Injured List For Yankees