Aaron Judge Returns to Batting Practice as Yankees Weigh Wild-Card Roster Decision

Aaron Judge took on-field batting practice Monday for the first time since injuring his right calf on Sept. 16.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge participated in on-field batting practice Monday for the first time since suffering a right calf strain on Sept. 16. The 34-year-old is attempting to secure a spot on the 26-man roster for the wild-card series against the Boston Red Sox, which begins Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees must submit their official roster by 10 a.m. on the day of the game.

Judge characterized his injury as a strain in the soleus muscle and acknowledged that playing carries the risk of an Achilles injury. While manager Aaron Boone previously labeled the injury a moderate grade strain and planned for Judge’s absence, the door remains open for his inclusion. Judge has limited his running to an anti-gravity treadmill and has not yet tested his calf by running bases.

During the regular season, Judge appeared in only 66 games, batting .241 with 18 home runs and an .871 OPS. He missed three months due to a fractured rib earlier in the year and struggled in his seven games prior to the calf injury, going 4-for-23 with 13 strikeouts. Despite these setbacks, the Yankees finished the season with 93 wins.

In last year's wild-card victory over Boston, Judge recorded two hits in each of the first two games. He finished that postseason with a 1.273 OPS and 13 hits in 26 at-bats. The Yankees are also evaluating the status of Giancarlo Stanton and Ryan Weathers as they finalize their lineup for the rematch against the Red Sox.