Although Aaron Judge intends to return from injury for the MLB postseason, it remains to be seen whether that will actually be possible. Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees have kept fans concerned about Judge’s injury, and a new report may all but confirm the worst-case scenario unfolding right before the Bronx Bombers’ eyes.
As things stand, neither party involved will reveal the grade of Judge‘s calf strain. That piece of information really isn’t too difficult to determine in today’s medicine and sports science landscape. Silence speaks volumes, though, and Judge, Boone, and the Yankees’ silence is loud enough to be heard all across the Big Apple.
“There’s no way [the Yankees] don’t know the grade [of Judge’s calf strain], it’s scientific data. The doctors don’t withhold it. They just won’t tell us what grade the strain is. If it was Grade 1, they would tell us that, because that’s good news,” Jimmy O’Brien stated on Talkin’ Yanks podcast. “And if it’s Grade 2, that gives three-to-six week return to running. I’ve got to think Judge is out.“
The fact that the Yankees have yet to reveal the extent of Judge’s injury could be taken as confirmation on its own. There are many reasons why the Bronx Bombers would say if it were good news, and many others why they wouldn’t if the results came out discouraging. All things considered, no answer appears to be an answer, and one no one in the Bronx wants to hear, so maybe that’s why New York isn’t putting it out there.
Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees at Chase Field.
NY Yankees must make a decision on Judge
The timing of Judge’s latest setback couldn’t be any worse. Of course, it was always a possibility when New York decided to activate him off the 60-day IL with no rehab assignment while entering such a crucial stage of the MLB season. Still, the team is being held to a high standard, as made clear when Boone challenged the Judge-less Yankees to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays in the upcoming four-game series that will decide the fate of the AL East division.
As for Judge, he will be sidelined for that series, perhaps still unaware, or unwilling to reveal, how serious his calf strain really is. Whether he will actually be back for the postseason remains uncertain, but the odds aren’t looking too good. As Judge returned from his first right-rib stress fracture, there was a risk of re-injury. There are now two re-injury risks, and the injury in his lower body is one that could have an even more disastrous fate.
“Also, if you rush [Judge] back, it’s an injury [in his] lower leg that leads to Achilles ruptures and that would put him out for a year,” O’Brien concluded. “Are you going to risk running [designated hitter] Judge out there, which means you lose Ben Rice or Luis Garcia? I don’t fully agree [that Judge should play if he can], because there’s also the risk that he can get hurt. I don’t know if he helps the team enough, because [if Judge plays as DH] your second-best hitter has [to be taken out].”
NY Yankees at a crossroads
By all accounts, the Yankees are in a tough spot dealing with Judge’s latest injury. Everything else appears to be taken care of going into the postseason, but the uncertainty around the team’s best player risks throwing everything overboard and essentially making a great season, with a Cy Young Award favorite, all in vain. That’s the way it is in the Bronx: it’s always World-Series-or-bust, and without Judge, the Yankees may not be able to end the 16-year drought.
The fact that the Bronx Bombers are keeping their cards close to the vest may only confirm that they are bluffing. They don’t really have an ace up their sleeve and may only extend their act for as long as they can before eventually folding.
Key takeaways
- Withholding severity details fuels concerns surrounding right fielder Aaron Judge’s status for the postseason.
- A 3-to-6 week return timeline accompanies Grade 2 strains, per Talkin’ Yanks podcast hosts.
- Four-game series against Tampa Bay will decide the AL East division fate.
