New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge is headed back to the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain, the team announced Friday. The move is expected to become official Saturday.
Another setback for Judge
Judge felt tightness in his lower right leg during Wednesday's game against Minnesota and exited in the sixth inning. The 34-year-old had returned on Sept. 8 after missing more than three months with a stress fracture in his right rib.
He appeared in only seven games between the two injuries. Judge is batting .241 with 18 home runs and 41 RBIs across 66 games this season. Yankees manager Aaron Boone did not offer a firm timetable for his return.
The postseason impact
New York has already secured a postseason berth, but the timing creates uncertainty around Judge's availability for October. If the IL assignment is backdated to Thursday, he could be eligible to return on Sept. 27, the final day of the regular season.
The Yankees entered Friday at 88-64 and five games behind Tampa Bay in the American League East. They are scheduled to host the Rays for four games next week before finishing the regular season against Baltimore.
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