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Yankees star to go on IL with calf strain

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Aaron Judge will be placed on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain, the New York Yankees announced Friday, Sept. 18, likely ending his regular season only seven games into his return from a 75-game absence due to a rib fracture.

Judge, the 34-year-old three-time American League MVP, left the Yankees’ game at Minnesota on Wednesday with what the Yankees called lower leg tightness. His move to the IL will officially be made Saturday when the club summons a roster replacement.

Judge would be eligible to return on Sunday, Sept. 27, the final day of the regular season. A return then would be unlikely, but at least Judge could return during the club’s likely AL wild-card series matchup against the Boston Red Sox.

That would depend on his body cooperating. Judge was limited to 66 games this season, and injuries prompted the Yankees to acquire outfielder Heliot Ramos and infielder Luis Garcia Jr. at the August trade deadline. Center fielder Trent Grisham is also returning from a hamstring injury and manager Aaron Boone said it was unlikely Grisham will return before the regular season ends.

Like Judge, they can only hope he’s ready to go when the playoff lights come on.

Other than the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season and his 27-game debut in 2016, Judge’s 66 games played in 2026 marks the only other time in his 11-year career he failed to play at least 100 games. He hit 18 home runs in 237 at-bats, giving him 386 for his career. The Yankees clinched at least a wild-card berth Tuesday, one day before Judge suffered his calf injury.

In 2025, Judge won his second consecutive AL MVP, leading the major leagues in batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457) and slugging (.688).

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