Aaron Judge's Updated Injury Status for Yankees vs. Rays in 2026 MLB Playoffs

The New York Yankees will be without Aaron Judge for their ALDS matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays.

New York confirmed Judge's absence ahead of Game 1 after Jack Curry of YES first reported his absence.

Judge initially said he hoped to return for the beginning of the postseason before he was left off the Yankees' Wild Card roster amid his recovery from the right calf strain that resulted in a trip to the injured list on Sept. 19.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said at the time the decision was made because the club didn't feel Judge was "all the way back."

Judge has appeared in just seven games for the Yankees since he was shut down with a right rib injury May 31. Following his return Sept. 8, he was held to a batting average of .174 with one home run in 24 plate appearances before suffering the calf injury.

The Yankees will hope giving Judge more time to recover from his latest injury will result in a more productive return from the slugger. With Judge sitting out the divisional series, he will gain an additional week to recover in the event the Yankees advance to the ALCS.

Gerrit Cole will start Game 1 for the Yankees when the ALDS begins Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET in St. Petersburg. He will be facing a more rested lineup given that the Rays sat out the Wild Card round after clinching the AL's top seed.