Yankees' playoff hopes plummet as Aaron Judge hits Injured List ahead of Friday's game

What did Aaron Boone say on Wednesday when Aaron Judge left the Yankees' series-ending loss with the Twins early? He hoped Judge would be an option "at some point"? Was that an accidental tying of the tongue, or did he know more than he was letting on?

As it turns out, Boone had every reason to be both anxious and cautious. The Yankees announced on Friday evening that Judge will be hitting the Injured List with a right calf strain. He is eligible to be activated for the season's final game, which feels ... ceremonial, pointless, and unlikely all at the same time.

A corresponding move has yet to be announced.

Yankees' playoff lineup makes no sense if Aaron Judge is unable to return

Let's get down to brass tacks here: you can't replace Judge. You can't replace Cody Bellinger. The lineup makes very little sense without them. It sounds obvious, but sometimes obvious things need to be said out loud. Whatever concession they have to make if they're dealing with a Judge-less world - Trent Grisham in center field, Spencer Jones in right, Heliot Ramos against Ranger Suárez/Payton Tolle - makes the Yankees worse.

This is not to mention that the Yankees were already at risk of Judge being unable to find his rhythm, with no rehab stint between his three months on the shelf and his return to MLB competition. He was forced by his own timeline to treat the end of the regular season as a minor-league assignment. Even if he's healthy in 10 days, he'll lose out on half of the allotted ramp-up period. That's very bad! Even the best-case scenario is very bad.

And so, much like the Red Sox last October when they went to Yankee Stadium without Roman Anthony, the Yankees will be missing their focal point when the two sides clash this time around. Last year, it was a built-in excuse for a Boston loss. If the Yankees falter, will their fans play the same card, or will they admit they were defeated fair and square?

Hopefully, we won't get to find out, and Judge can at least be an intimidating placeholder even if he's not his best self. The next 10 days without him will feel very familiar. Hopefully, the season is extended long enough for Judge's recovery timeline to matter (and hopefully this calf strain is nothing like Giancarlo Stanton's).

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow