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When New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced that Aaron Judge had suffered a moderate calf strain, it seemed clear that he would miss at least the Wild Card Series—and likely much more playing time.
However, the Bombers' captain told Jorge Castillo of ESPN that he plans to be ready for next week's series against the Boston Red Sox.
Yankees star Aaron Judge told @jorgecastillo today that he intends to play in the Wild Card Series next week. Here's the news from Jorge, available for free on ESPN: https://t.co/STV4OR0CIe
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 23, 2026
And while he was at it, he took another jab at his manager, asking reporters outright why the manager had made certain comments about his calf injury.
Everyone's idea of “moderate” is a little different. I think your idea of “moderate” is a little different from mine, and so on. So I don't know why he used those words, but I'm trying to get back as soon as possible.
This is yet more evidence of how disastrously the Yankees have handled this situation.
Aaron Judge expressed displeasure with Aaron Boone for revealing the “moderate” calf strain, saying, “I don't know why he used those words.”
— Bryan Hoch
(@BryanHoch) September 24, 2026
First of all, they hadn't provided any updates on their star player's condition. Then, the manager went public to say that his star player wouldn't be in the Wild Card series. And finally, the player himself is unhappy with how things played out.
That said, Judge's presence in the lineup completely changes the game for the Yankees, even if he isn't at 100%. If he were to miss games, it would be the first time the Bronx Bombers have been without Judge in the playoffs since he became the team's captain.
On the other hand, we mustn't overlook the fact that if he aggravates his calf injury, it could jeopardize not only the 2026 postseason but also part of the 2027 season.
It's a delicate situation, and given Judge's comments in front of the entire baseball world, the New York front office will have no choice but to let him play if he feels up to it.
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