The injury threatens his availability for the remaining regular season and the upcoming American League playoffs.
The New York Yankees face the final stretch of the regular season and the looming postseason without their captain. Outfielder Aaron Judge was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain, the team announced. Judge felt stiffness in his lower right leg during the first inning on September 16, prompting his removal from the game.
Aaron JudgeManager Aaron Boone Declines to Provide Return Timeline
An MRI performed on Thursday in Phoenix revealed the strain. Yankees manager Aaron Boone declined to specify the severity of the injury or offer a timetable for his return when speaking to reporters, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Max Schuemann will be recalled in a corresponding move, manager Aaron Boone tells reporters.
I don’t have a timeline on him,
Boone said. I’m not going to predict anything. We’ll just obviously treat it and see what transpires.
Aaron Boone, Yankees manager
Generally, even a Grade 1 calf strain requires two to three weeks to recover. The timing sidelines Judge not only for this weekend’s series against the D-backs, but also a four-game showdown against the Rays next week at Yankee Stadium. His earliest possible return date would be the final regular-season game on Sept. 27 vs. Baltimore, though it’s unclear if his calf will be healthy by then.
An Injury-Marred Season for the Reigning AL MVP
This latest setback extends a difficult year for Judge, the reigning American League MVP. He batted .241/.360/.511 with 18 homers and 41 RBIs in 66 games. He previously missed most of the summer with a fractured right rib, believed to be sustained on April 26 in Houston. He played with the injury for about a month before landing on the injured list after a May 31 game against the Athletics in West Sacramento, with his IL stint retroactively applied to June 2. Bypassing a Minor League rehab assignment, Judge returned on Sept. 8 against the Rockies.
In his six games following that return, Judge was 4-for-23 (.174) with a homer, going 4-for-23/.208/.304 in 24 plate appearances and striking out in 13 of those. Boone said he would not second-guess the decision to have Judge skip the rehab assignment, noting that these things happen with a rehab assignment or without one.
The reality is, we’ve had to play a lot of the season this year without him,
manager Aaron Boone said. There’s no replacing a player who is as great as Aaron Judge, but we have high expectations. Those don’t change now.
Aaron Boone, Yankees manager
Playoff Picture and Roster Adjustments in the Bronx
The Yankees entered play Friday trailing Tampa Bay by five games in the American League East with ten games left to play for both of those clubs. With or without Judge, the most likely outcome is the Yanks make the playoffs as the top Wild Card team in the American League, while they are also 5.5 games up on the Red Sox, who are currently the second Wild Card team and have nine games to play. Catching the Rays or slipping behind the Red Sox are outcomes that are technically possible but unlikely.
Teammate Cody Bellinger acknowledged the impact of losing the team’s primary offensive threat as the club prepares for the postseason, with the American League Wild Card Series set to begin on Sept. 29.
He’s a guy that wants to be out here every day,
Cody Bellinger said of Judge. He wants to be on the field and help us win. It’s definitely frustrating news, especially when you work so hard for so long to get back, and then something happens. I’m frustrated for him. Hopefully it’s something small and quick.
Cody Bellinger, Yankees outfielder
Missing Judge, it hurts. We all know he’s the best hitter in the game,
Bellinger said. For us in here, our mindset is, we’re going to have to find a way. I think the talent in this locker room speaks for itself. I’m fully confident that we have enough talent in here that we can go out and win, and beat anybody.
Cody Bellinger, Yankees outfielder
The club also manages injuries to other players, as they have Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham on the IL at the moment as well. Cody Bellinger will be in left field most of the time, and with Grisham out, Spencer Jones is now the regular center fielder. Heliot Ramos will probably be in right field against left-handed pitching. Jasson Domínguez is on optional assignment but he might be recalled for Judge tomorrow.
