The Yankees are heading into October without Aaron Judge, at least for the start of it.
Manager Aaron Boone told reporters Tuesday, before the doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays, that the club is not planning on having Judge active for the Wild Card series. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Boone said, "We're not planning on him being a part of that," when asked about Judge’s availability for the AL Wild Card.
That leaves Judge on the sideline for the opening round of the postseason, with a possible return not expected until the ALDS or later. His calf strain has pushed him back onto the IL after he had already missed much of the 2026 season, sitting out a long stretch from the start of June until late August before briefly returning.
The timing is especially rough for New York. The Yankees are likely to face the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card round, with the Tampa Bay Rays close to locking up the AL East and the third Wild Card spot well behind the Yankees and Red Sox. That means the first playoff series could be a home one against an AL East rival, and the Yankees will have to play it without their best player.
There is some good news on the roster front. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is coming back, and the Yankees are expected to have the likely Cy Young winner on the mound in Cam Schlittler. But Boone’s update makes the bigger reality impossible to miss: Judge will not be there for the first test.
It’s a harsh blow for a team that was already dealing with uncertainty around its superstar. Judge did not exactly sail through his return from the earlier IL stint, and now a new injury has complicated everything again. His status beyond the Wild Card round is still unclear, which leaves the ALDS, ALCS and even the World Series hanging in the balance.
In Other News...
Red Sox Just Reopened A Marcelo Mayer Question Fans Thought Was Settled
Marcelo Mayers move from Boston to San Francisco has already started to look like more than a simple change of scenery. After dealing with injuries and an uneven offensive stretch, the infielder was traded to the Giants for Erik Miller and Carlos Gutierrez, and he recently made his debut with his new club. For the Red Sox, it closes a chapter on a once-promising infield prospect who never quite found his footing the way the organization had hoped.
Mayer and his father both spoke about the trade afterward, and the comments carried a familiar tone of relief as much as reflection. They also touched on how difficult it had been for Mayer to handle the pressure that came with Bostons fanbase and media attention, which is the part of this story that lingers for Red Sox followers. The move may have answered one roster question, but it reopened a bigger one about how much weight young players can carry in Boston before a fresh start becomes the best outcome for everyone involved. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Settle Dugout Question With Crucial Move Before Postseason
The Red Sox have quieted one of the biggest questions hanging over their dugout by officially removing the interim tag from Chad Tracy and signing him to a three-year contract as manager, with a club option for 2030. Tracy stepped into the job in April after Alex Cora was fired, and since then he has helped steer a team that was searching for direction into one that enters the postseason with real momentum.
Boston also locked in another key piece of its leadership structure by exercising contract options for chief baseball officer Craig Breslow through 2029 and 2030. The timing matters, too, because it gives the organization a clearer footing on the baseball side as the focus shifts from internal uncertainty to October baseball. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Face A Stressful Fenway Twist At The Worst Time
A crucial three-game series at Fenway Park already had playoff implications attached to it, and now the weather has added a layer of uncertainty neither the Cubs nor the Red Sox needed. The matchup between two teams with postseason positioning in play is landing in the middle of an early-season noreaster forecast to bring strong winds, heavy rain and even the possibility of coastal flooding across New England.
For Boston, the timing is especially awkward because any disruption could force MLB into a scramble for makeup dates or a doubleheader, the kind of logistical headache that can ripple through a tight September schedule. The league has already dealt with a similar weather-driven adjustment earlier this season with the Mets and Braves, and Fenway could be the next park where the calendar becomes part of the story. [Read more 🡒]