Aaron Judge unlikely to play in Yankees' Wild Card Series due to calf strain

The New York Yankees will likely not have their captain when the Wild Card Series begins next week. Aaron Judge is not expected to be on the Wild Card Series roster as he recovers from his recent calf strain, manager Aaron Boone announced Tuesday. Judge received a platelet-rich plasma injection on Monday and is shut down from baseball activities while that kicks in.

"We're planning on him not being a part of that," Boone said about Judge being on the Wild Card Series roster (per MLB.com).

Judge exited last Wednesday's game with a right calf strain that Boone described on Tuesday as "moderate." It was Judge's seventh game back from a fractured top right rib that sidelined him for more than three months. Judge has played in only 66 of New York's 155 games this season, and, depending on how their postseason goes, he may not play again in 2026.

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Judge did not go on a minor-league rehab assignment following the rib fracture and it showed. He went 4 for 23 (.174) with one walk and 13 strikeouts in his seven games back, and his timing at the plate was way off. It's fair to wonder which Judge the Yankees get even if he does make it into the lineup this postseason. He's played seven games since June 1.

The Yankees are also without center fielder Trent Grisham, who is recovering from a hamstring strain. His status for the Wild Card Series is up in the air as well. With Grisham and Judge sidelined, the Yankees have played rookie Spencer Jones in center field and trade deadline addition Heliot Ramos in right. Cody Bellinger is the everyday left fielder.

Without Judge, Boone's regular postseason lineup will look something like this:

DH Ben Rice, LHB

LF Cody Bellinger, LHB

RF Heliot Ramos, RHB

1B Luis Gárcia Jr., LHB

CF Spencer Jones, LHB

SS George Lombard Jr., RHB

2B Jazz Chisholm Jr., LHB

3B Ryan McMahon, LHB

C Austin Wells, LHB

It is a lefty-heavy lineup that sorely misses Judge's righty heft. Ramos was brought in to be a platoon player against lefties and he started his Yankees tenure very slowly, though he is 9 for 34 (.265) with three home runs and seven walks in his last 12 games. Two of those three home runs came against right-handed pitchers this past weekend.

The Yankees have already clinched a postseason berth and they are mathematically alive in the AL East race, though it is a long shot. Beginning Tuesday, the Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays will play four games in three days at Yankee Stadium, and one win in the four games will clinch the AL East title for the Rays.