BY JJ JASTREMSKI | news@queensledger.com
The Yankees waited over three months to get Aaron Judge back.
They had weathered the storm without him, the path was set.
Get Judge’s timing right over the final three weeks of the season and have him firing on all cylinders for the postseason.
Last week, a monster monkey wrench was thrown into that equation: Aaron Judge aggravated his calf.
It’s a different injury than the one that caused an extended absence for the 2026 season, but an incredibly problematic injury.
Calf injuries are very tricky. The timeline cannot be rushed. It can lead to reinjury or a more significant lower body issue.
Just ask Kevin Durant about hurrying back from a calf injury – as a result, Durant ended up tearing his achillies tendon and missing a full season.
There’s a major problem now brewing for Aaron Judge and the Yankees. They are both running out of time in two ways.
First, the timetable of getting Judge’s body right for the postseason. Second, wondering how many more times Judge will be make able to make an October run, with a pending lockout looming.
Aaron Judge is going to do everything in his power to be a part of the 2026 postseason.
However, the Yankees should also be aware that he is going to be a very compromised player for the rest of the season.
The Yankees cannot expect Judge to be Judge.
They also must be aware that there is a distinct possibility that the road to the World Series may be without #99.
A cruel world indeed.
