The Yankees are heading into the postseason without Aaron Judge, at least for the Wild Card round, and that’s the kind of news that changes everything about October.
Manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday, before the doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays, that the club is not expecting Judge to be active for the Wild Card series. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Boone told reporters, "We're not planning on him being a part of that," when asked about Judge’s availability.
That leaves Judge sidelined through the opening round, with a possible return not coming until the ALDS or later. For now, the calf strain that sent him back to the injured list is keeping him out, and the Yankees are left to move forward without their best player.
The timing makes the update even tougher. Judge had already missed a significant stretch of the 2026 season, sitting out much of the time from the start of June until late August before briefly returning. That comeback didn’t last long, and now the team is dealing with another injury setback that could stretch deeper into October.
The most likely matchup in the Wild Card round appears to be against the Boston Red Sox, with the Yankees set up for what would likely be a home series. The Tampa Bay Rays are on the verge of winning the AL East, while the third Wild Card spot is well behind New York and Boston.
There is some good news for the Yankees elsewhere on the roster. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is coming back, and Cam Schlittler is expected to be on the mound as the likely Cy Young winner. But none of that changes the biggest headline: Judge will not be there when the first round begins.
That’s the brutal part for New York. Even if Judge makes it back later in the postseason, his form will still be a major question. He struggled some after his earlier IL stint, and now he’s facing another interruption because of the calf injury.
For the Yankees, the reality is simple: they may have to chase a deep playoff run without Aaron Judge, at least through the Wild Card and possibly beyond. The ALDS, ALCS, and even the World Series are all still uncertain when it comes to his status.
In Other News...
DeMarcus Cousins Just Turned Celtics Fans Against Jayson Tatum
The Celtics offseason took a sharp turn when Boston moved Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia after first kicking around a deal with Milwaukee that would have centered on Giannis Antetokounmpo. For a franchise that had built so much of its identity around the Brown-Tatum pairing, the switch immediately changed the conversation around the teams future and how much pressure now falls on Jayson Tatum to carry the next chapter.
Former All-Star DeMarcus Cousins only added fuel to the reaction by voicing disappointment in Tatum for not stepping in during the process. With Brown now in a different uniform, the breakup has done more than alter Bostons roster structure - it has also set up a new layer of rivalry, with Tatum and Brown suddenly on opposite sides of the league and Celtics fans left sorting through what this means for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Devin Carter's Celtics Chance May Have Started With One Lost Opportunity
Devin Carters path to Boston may have opened in an unexpected way. Reports say the Hawks and Hornets explored a trade framework involving Buddy Hield and Dorian Finney-Smith, with Carter potentially part of the mix before Atlanta ultimately waived him rather than folding him into the deal. For a player still trying to establish himself, a move like that can change the direction of a summer in a hurry.
What makes the situation even more interesting is how little is known about the back end of those talks. It is not clear whether Charlotte had real interest in Carter or whether he preferred the waiver route, but the end result was the same: he became available and eventually landed with the Celtics on a non-guaranteed deal. For Boston, that creates a low-risk chance to evaluate a young player whose route here was shaped as much by what did not happen as by what did. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Face A Risky Payton Pritchard Decision They Can't Fully Control
Payton Pritchard will be eligible to sign a three-year extension with the Celtics starting Oct. 1, giving Boston a chance to lock in one of its most important rotation guards before the situation gets more complicated. Because of the NBA salary cap rules tied to his current contract and the estimated average player salary, the Celtics can offer a deal with a first-year salary around $21.3 million, a number that could reach about $69 million over three seasons.
Pritchard, though, controls the bigger part of the decision. He can take the security of that extension or keep moving toward unrestricted free agency in 2028, where a stronger market could mean a richer payoff. For Boston, that creates a familiar kind of roster tension: the team can put a real offer on the table, but it cannot force timing, and it cannot fully control what Pritchard decides to do with it. [Read more 🡒]