Aaron Judge suffered the calf injury on Sept. 16 while playing against the Minnesota Twins.

Published on: Sep 30, 2026, 06:19:01 IST

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Aaron Judge is sidelined with a moderate strain in the soleus muscle of his right calf and was left off the Yankees’ AL Wild Card Series roster against the Boston Red Sox.

Injury details and timeline

Judge suffered the calf injury on Sept. 16 while playing against the Minnesota Twins. He left the game early and was later placed on the 10-day injured list.

The injury came shortly after Judge returned from a stress fracture in his right rib that had kept him out from late May until early September. He played only seven games before the calf problem forced him back onto the injured list.

The soleus muscle plays an important role in running and pushing off the ground. A moderate calf strain can take several weeks to heal. Judge also received a platelet-poor plasma injection around Sept. 21 as part of his treatment.

Why isn't Judge playing?

Judge has made progress in his recovery. He has been hitting and throwing indoors, using an anti-gravity treadmill and taking live batting practice.

On Sept. 28, he took four plate appearances during a live batting practice session, drawing two walks, striking out once and hitting a ground ball.

But Judge has not yet returned to running the bases or playing in the outfield.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Judge was “not quite there yet” and was not ready to return to full baseball activity.

The Yankees ultimately decided not to put him on their 26-man roster for the Wild Card Series.

When could Aaron Judge return?

There is no firm return date.

Judge is continuing his rehabilitation with the hope of being available for the AL Division Series if the Yankees advance past the Red Sox.

For now, Judge remains unavailable for the Wild Card Series. If the Yankees advance, the ALDS could provide his next opportunity to return.

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