While Spencer Jones brought peace to the New York Yankees after missing a game, the case for Aaron Boone and Aaron Judge is the whole opposite. This is quite concerning as the MLB playoffs are getting near.
Judge is dealing with a calf strain, and Boone didn’t sugarcoat the matter. Per Bryan Hoch of MLB, Boone said “It doesn’t matter what grade it is… We’re going to get him back, or we’re not.” That is some serious, insecure diagnosis of Judge’s injury.
Gary Phillips of New York Daily News also reported Judge’s words. Judge said “I’d like to be” back before the playoffs, but trainers haven’t even told Judge or Boone what grade the strain is.
Judge’s season has been injury-plagued
Usually an MVP frontrunner, this year hasn’t been kind to Aaron Judge. A rib injury sidelined him for more than three months. As soon as he came back, fans didn’t even have time to rejoice as he suffered the calf strain that’s bugging him right now and landed him in the 10-day injured list.
Aaron Judge is going on the injured list with a right calf strain, per @GJoyce9 pic.twitter.com/I3IJijGnM3
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 18, 2026
Now, neither Boone nor Judge know if he will be playing during the early portions of the postseason. Needless to say, this is as concerning as news can get for the Yankees.
Who could the Yankees face in the first round of the MLB playoffs?
The New York Yankees are most likely to face the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the 2026 MLB postseason. The Yankees hold the top Wild Card spot in the American League per the time of writing.
While a narrow mathematical chance remains to catch the Tampa Bay Bay Rays for the division title, a first-round best-of-three Wild Card Series is the expected outcome. One of the best rivalries in the MLB might be played at high stakes and without Judge.
