AARON JUDGE WANTS TO PLAY GAME 1… HIS CALF HAS OTHER PLANS

The Yankees' $40 Million Question: Is Judge Coming Back, Or Is His Calf About To Become The Most Important Member Of The Yankees' Front Office?

New York Yankees fans, everybody take a deep breath.

Actually, forget that.

NOBODY TAKE A DEEP BREATH!

Aaron Judge says he wants to be ready for Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series on Tuesday, which is exactly the kind of confidence you want from your captain.

The only problem is that somewhere inside his right calf, there is probably a tiny doctor saying:

“Aaron… buddy… let’s not get crazy.”

Judge told ESPN on Wednesday that the plan is to get his body ready so he can play when the postseason begins.

Translation: Aaron Judge is trying to convince his calf that October baseball is more important than biology.

And now Yankees fans are going to monitor every move he makes like it’s a NASA launch.

Is he running? Did he jog? Did he walk without limping?

“HE BENT DOWN TO TIE HIS SHOE! HE’S READY!”

This is what Yankees baseball has become.

Judge was placed on the injured list Saturday with a right calf strain, and he later revealed the injury involves the soleus muscle, which apparently is located somewhere between your calf and your ability to ruin Yankees fans’ weekends.

The Yankees have called it a moderate-grade strain.

Judge basically responded:

“Moderate according to WHO?”

That’s classic Judge.

Aaron Boone has said he doesn’t expect Judge to be available for the Wild Card Series, but he also hasn’t completely ruled him out. Judge, meanwhile, said everybody’s definition of “moderate” is different.

For most people, moderate means, “I should probably sit down.”

For Aaron Judge, moderate apparently means, “Give me a helmet and let’s see what happens.”

And that uncertainty is going to drive Yankees Nation insane.

Every clip of Judge is going to become evidence in a full-scale investigation. If he walks into the clubhouse normally, he’s playing. If he sits down too fast, season over. If he stretches, he’s back. If he gets ice, Boone is hiding something.

Welcome to October baseball in New York.

Judge suffered the injury against Minnesota on September 16, just seven games after returning from a fractured rib that had already kept him out for more than three months.

The Yankees finally got their superstar back, and then his calf basically said:

“Oh, you thought we were finished?”

NOPE.

Judge returned from the rib injury without a rehab assignment and went 4-for-23 with 13 strikeouts, one walk and one home run before getting hurt again.

At this point, the Yankees’ medical staff is basically playing a video game where every time Judge gets healthy, a new injury boss appears.

“Congratulations! You defeated Broken Rib!”

Next level: calf strain.

But this is where it stops being funny.

Judge knows there is risk involved with trying to come back too quickly. The Yankees know it too.

The Bronx may be magical in October.

Calf muscles are not.

They can’t throw Judge out there simply because everyone wants him in the lineup. This isn’t MLB The Show. You don’t hit a button and activate Aaron Judge.

He has to be able to run, hit and move without turning a moderate strain into something much worse.

Because the last thing the Yankees need is Judge chasing down a ball in October and suddenly looking like somebody unplugged his controller.

Still, you can’t question how badly he wants to play.

He missed most of the season. He battled back from a fractured rib. He returned. He got hurt again. Now he’s trying to make it back for the postseason because he knows this team has a legitimate opportunity.

And the Yankees clearly need him.

They went 41-25 with Judge in the lineup and averaged 5.12 runs per game. Without him, entering Wednesday, they were 49-42 while averaging 4.15 runs.

That’s almost an entire run per game.

In baseball terms, that’s the difference between:

“We’re scoring runs!”

and

“Can somebody please get on base?”

Now there’s also the possibility of another Yankees-Red Sox postseason showdown.

Last year, Judge was in the lineup when the Yankees eliminated Boston in three games during the Wild Card Series, and he was excellent throughout the postseason, going 13-for-26 with a home run and a 1.273 OPS before New York eventually fell to Toronto in the ALDS.

So when Judge talks about wanting to be out there, he knows exactly what October in the Bronx feels like.

The lights. The crowd. The pressure.

The problem is whether his calf can handle it.

That’s what the next few days are going to be about.

Judge is going to push. The Yankees are going to monitor him. Boone is going to keep saying he isn’t ruling anything out. The doctors are going to examine him.

And Yankees fans are going to analyze every social media video like it belongs in a courtroom.

By Tuesday, somebody is going to post a 12-second clip of Judge walking from the clubhouse to the dugout, and 400,000 Yankees fans are going to argue about whether his left foot looked 3% faster than his right.

THIS IS OCTOBER IN NEW YORK.

Here’s what I know:

The Yankees don’t need Aaron Judge at 70%.

They don’t need him standing in the lineup just because his name looks good on the card.

If Judge is going to play, they need the Aaron Judge who can actually be Aaron Judge.

But if that calf is ready?

Oh boy.

Imagine Judge walking into Yankee Stadium for Game 1. The lights come on. The crowd loses its mind. Boston is on the other side.

And Aaron Judge steps into the batter’s box.

That’s the kind of moment October baseball was built for.

So, Aaron, get healthy. Listen to the doctors. Listen to your body.

And for the love of every Yankees fan in the tri-state area:

DO NOT TRY TO SPRINT BEFORE THAT CALF IS READY.

The Yankees have a chance.

Judge wants October.

The Yankees want Judge.

Yankees fans want Judge.

And somewhere inside that right leg, the soleus is currently negotiating a contract extension.

Welcome to October, Yankees fans.

Grab your popcorn.

And maybe an ice pack.

We’re gonna need both.

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