The New York Yankees will close out the regular season without Aaron Judge after placing their captain on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain.
The announcement came Saturday in Phoenix, with the transaction backdated to Thursday. Judge departed Wednesday's contest against the Minnesota Twins after six innings, citing tightness in his lower right leg. An MRI performed Thursday identified a strain of the soleus muscle.
Manager Aaron Boone offered no details on the injury's grade or a potential return date. "I don’t have a timeline on him," Boone said. "I’m not going to predict anything. We’ll just obviously treat it and see what transpires."
Judge, speaking before Saturday's game, echoed the uncertainty. "I got really no answers for you on any timeline or anything like that," he said. He noted the injury involved the soleus and that he did not yet know its severity. "We’re going to do everything we can to get back as soon as we can."
Because of the backdating, Judge could theoretically be activated for the Yankees' final regular-season game on September 27 against the Baltimore Orioles. The American League wild-card round is scheduled to open two days later.
The 34-year-old had returned to the lineup on September 8 following a stress fracture in a rib that kept him out more than three months. In seven games since, he recorded four hits in 23 at-bats with one home run.
Infielder-outfielder Max Schuemann was recalled from Triple-A to fill the roster spot.
The Yankees have already locked up a postseason berth but sit five games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East with a handful of games remaining.