Even with a calf injury, Aaron Judge may have a leg up on being ready for the postseason, according to one of his former coaches.
Sean Casey, a three-time All-Star who briefly served as the Bombers’ hitting coach in 2023, believes Judge can overcome his ailment to contribute in the playoffs — and he’s speaking from experience.
A member of the Tigers in 2006, Casey suffered a torn fascia muscle in his left calf during the American League Championship Series but managed to return for Game 1 of the World Series less than two weeks later.
And despite the injury, Casey hit an outstanding .529 with two home runs and five RBIs as Detroit fell to the Cardinals in five games.
As Judge attempts to be in play for the Wild Card Series next week, Casey understands why the Yankees captain believes he can be a factor.
“I know what Judge is saying, ‘It’s postseason time and I’m playing, I don’t care if this thing blows out, I gotta give it a go,’” Casey said in a new episode of his podcast “The Mayor’s Office” released on Thursday.
“Judgey is a very positive person too as far as wanting to get out there and he’s one of the toughest guys I’ve ever met in my entire life. So if he can go [and play], he’s gonna go. His 70 percent is better than most people’s 100 percent.”
To gauge an actual percentage for Judge’s recovery has been tricky, as the severity of the strain and subsequent prognosis yielded mixed messages.
After hitting the injured list with the calf injury last week, Judge indicated his goal was to be ready for the playoffs, until manager Aaron Boone revealed the three-time MVP is nursing a “moderate” strain and did not expect him to be available for the Wild Card series.
After the Yankees’ 9-2 win Wednesday in The Bronx, Judge expressed confusion about Boone’s comments on his injury and reiterated his goal of being ready for the postseason.
“Everybody’s moderate is a little different. I don’t know why [Boone] used those words,” Judge told reporters.
“My goal is to come back as soon as I can. That’s what I’m doing right now. If [Boone] said I’m not gonna be ready, I’ve got no control over that. I’ve got control over what I can do. I’m trying to get back as soon as I can. If you ask if I’m gonna be back [for the wild-card series], I’m gonna say, ‘Yeah.’”
The calf issue was the latest blow in an injury-riddled season for Judge, who missed over three months with a right rib stress fracture.
Coming off back-to-back MVP campaigns, Judge will finish the 2026 regular season with a slash line of .241/.360/.511, 18 homers and 41 RBIs in 66 games.
Injuries have decimated the Yankees offense this season as Trent Grisham, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Giancarlo Stanton — dealing with a series of calf strains which cost him the entire regular season — have all missed time.
Casey admitted that returning to play with a serious calf injury in such a short period is difficult, but expressed confidence Judge could do it successfully.
“Calves are no joke,” Casey said.
“But if he’s talking like he wants to play, that positive attitude, then I’m not betting against him.”
