Boone: Yankees 'planning' for Judge to miss wild-card round

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 08: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees reacts after striking out in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium on September 08, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City.
Elsa / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The New York Yankees don't expect star outfielder Aaron Judge to play in the American League wild-card series.

"We're planning on him not being a part of that, but we're also at a time of the year, you hear all the time with injuries, you give ranges two-to-four weeks, four-to-six weeks," Boone said, according to Larry Fleisher of The Associated Press. "The range is for a reason, and we're at a point of the year where obviously we push it a little bit if that was in play, but that's a week away. I'm not expecting it, but I'm not ruling it out either."

New York holds the first wild-card spot in the AL and is expected to host the Boston Red Sox in the postseason's opening round.

The Yankees' skipper confirmed Judge has a "moderate" right calf strain and received an injection on Monday.

Judge appeared in only seven games for New York after returning from a rib fracture that sidelined him for four months.

The Yankees are 48-40 without the three-time AL MVP in the lineup.

"We've played much of the year without him, and for the most part, we've done a pretty good job," Boone said. "Guys are used to it. Obviously, you always want your best player in the mix, but we understand we've got a job to do and an expectation to win. I think that expectation doesn't change with or without him. We're expecting to go into the series and know we can beat anyone when we play our game."

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