The Yankees are heading toward the postseason without Aaron Judge, and the news got uglier Tuesday.
Before the doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays, manager Aaron Boone made it plain that New York is not expecting its star slugger back for the Wild Card series. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported Boone’s comments, which pointed to a possible return in the ALDS or later - if Judge comes back at all.
"We're not planning on him being a part of that," Boone told Kirschner and reporters about Judge's availability for the AL Wild Card.
That leaves the Yankees in a rough spot entering the first round. Judge, who has already missed a large chunk of the 2026 season from the start of June until late August, is now dealing with a calf strain that sent him back to the IL after a short return.
The timing could hardly be worse. New York is expected to open the Wild Card round, likely against the Boston Red Sox, with the Tampa Bay Rays on the verge of taking the AL East and the third Wild Card spot sitting well behind both the Yankees and Red Sox. That makes a home series against a division rival the most likely setup, but it won’t include Judge.
The Yankees do have some encouraging pieces around him. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is coming back, and Cam Schlittler is lined up to give them what Boone described as the likely Cy Young winner on the mound. Even so, losing Judge removes their best player from the biggest stage they’ve reached so far.
There’s also the question of what Judge would look like if he does make it back later in October. He wasn’t exactly roaring through his return from the previous IL stint, and now another injury has thrown his status into further doubt.
For now, the picture is simple: Judge is expected to sit out the Wild Card round, and the Yankees may have to keep pushing through the playoffs without him, with the ALDS, ALCS and even the World Series all still uncertain.
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