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Aaron Judge was left off the Yankees’ 26-man roster for the American League Division Series against Tampa Bay on October 3, 2026, because his strained right calf had not healed enough for the team to include him. He wanted to return, but he had not yet run the bases, and the reporting did not confirm a return date.
Why Judge was left off the ALDS roster
Judge strained the soleus muscle in his right calf on September 16. MLB described it as a moderate strain. By the October 3 roster decision, he had progressed through hitting and limited running work, but had not run the bases. The Yankees were concerned that advancing his running too quickly could aggravate the injury. MLB.com’s October 3 report said he was not ready to be activated.
The timing matters: hitting practice and limited running did not establish that Judge could handle the demands of a game. The report did not say when he would be ready, so the omission should not be treated as a firm estimate of how long he would be out.
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The omission applies to the ALDS roster against Tampa Bay. It does not establish whether Judge could return in a later postseason round. The Yankees had already left him off their Wild Card roster against Boston, then advanced by sweeping the Red Sox in two games. They were scheduled to open the ALDS on Saturday, October 3. The Associated Press reported the sweep on October 1.
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Several considerations surrounded the roster decision: Judge’s running progression and the risk of aggravating the strain, the fielding demands and artificial turf at Tropicana Field, and the Yankees’ available designated-hitter options, according to MLB.com. Those factors help explain the roster context; the report did not identify performance as the reason for leaving him off.
How long could recovery take?
MLB reported that a full recovery from this type of soleus strain typically takes at least three weeks. That is general context, not a forecast for Judge. His readiness depended on his own recovery and ability to progress through running, and the October 3 report gave no individual return date.
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Judge’s 2026 season before the calf strain
Judge had already missed 84 games earlier in 2026 with a fractured right rib. He appeared in 66 regular-season games and hit .241/.360/.511, with 18 home runs and an .871 OPS, according to MLB.com. Those numbers describe his season, not his recovery or current ability to play.
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What Boone said about the earlier roster decision
After Judge was left off the Wild Card roster, Yankees manager Aaron Boone described his effort to become available but said he was not yet ready. The Associated Press reported Boone’s September 29 statement: “He’s had a good couple of weeks of obviously really grinding and doing everything he possibly can to be an option. Just felt like he’s not quite there yet,”
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That quote concerned the Wild Card decision. The October 3 ALDS report separately noted that Judge had not run the bases and that his calf had not healed enough for inclusion.
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