One thing is to begin the 2026 MLB playoffs at full strength; another is to enter them shorthanded. The New York Yankees recently suffered another injury setback involving Aaron Judge. While the No.99 could not provide an exact timeline for his return, he made it clear that his goal is to be back for the postseason.
“I’d like to be back by the postseason. That’s definitely the plan,” Judge said per MLB insider Bryan Hoch on X. “I got really no answers for you on any timeline or anything like that.”
With only a few days remaining in the regular season, Aaron Boone is analyzing every step to take from here on out. Will he ultimately be able to count on one of his biggest stars when the most decisive stage of the season begins for the Pinstripes?
Another setback for Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge landed back on the 10-day injured list after suffering a right calf strain during Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins. He felt tightness in his lower right leg in the first inning and was ultimately pulled in the sixth, with an MRI on Thursday revealing the strain in his soleus muscle.
Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on.
It’s a brutal blow for the Yanks given that Judge had literally just returned a week prior from a three-month absence due to a fractured rib, putting his availability for the rest of the regular season and the upcoming postseason run in serious doubt.
What comes next for the Yankees without Judge?
With the regular season winding down, the New York Yankees wrap up their final stretch back at the Bronx, hosting a crucial four-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays before finishing out the schedule with a three-game home series against the Baltimore Orioles. Sitting comfortably at the top of the Wild Card standings, New York is pretty much locked in for October baseball and looking as the prime favorite to hold down the #4 seed.
That setup means they would host the entire best-of-three Wild Card Series right at Yankee Stadium, where they’re currently on track to lock horns with either their archrival Boston Red Sox or whichever contender grabs that last spot—likely a hard-nosed AL Central club like the Cleveland Guardians or Chicago White Sox.
