The Yankees are headed into the postseason without Aaron Judge for the Wild Card series, and that’s the harsh reality Aaron Boone laid out Tuesday before the doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays.
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 for the AL Wild Card. If there’s a return at all, Boone indicated it would come in the ALDS or later.
That’s a major blow for New York, especially with Judge’s latest setback coming after a season already interrupted by a long absence. He missed most of 2026 from the start of June until late August, came back briefly, and then landed back on the IL with a calf strain.
Now the Yankees are looking at a Wild Card round without their best player. The most likely opponent is the Boston Red Sox, with the Tampa Bay Rays on the verge of taking the AL East and the third Wild Card spot trailing well behind New York and Boston. That means the opening round would likely be a home series for the Yankees against their AL East rival.
There is some good news for New York elsewhere on the roster. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is coming back, and the Yankees are expected to have the likely Cy Young winner in Cam Schlittler on the mound. But none of that changes the biggest storyline: Judge won’t be there for the first playoff series.
The concern doesn’t stop with the Wild Card round, either. Boone’s update leaves his status beyond that uncertain, and Judge’s own return from the IL wasn’t especially smooth. He struggled a bit after that long layoff, and now another injury has knocked him back out again.
For the Yankees, the path forward may now require a deep playoff run without Judge, with the ALDS, ALCS, and even the World Series still very much up in the air.
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