Sean Casey Believes Aaron Judge Can Overcome Calf Injury for Playoffs
Former Yankees hitting coach Sean Casey, drawing on his own experience with a similar injury, expressed confidence in Aaron Judge's ability to return for the postseason.
Sean Casey, who briefly served as the New York Yankees' hitting coach in 2023, believes that captain Aaron Judge can overcome his current calf injury to contribute to the team's playoff run. Casey, a three-time All-Star, shared his perspective drawing from his personal experience returning from a torn calf muscle during the 2006 American League Championship Series.
Casey recalled suffering a torn fascia muscle in his left calf while playing for the Detroit Tigers in 2006. Despite the injury, he managed to return for Game 1 of the World Series less than two weeks later. During that World Series appearance, Casey batted .529 with two home runs and five RBIs.
"His 70 percent is better than most people's 100 percent," Casey said on his podcast "The Mayor's Office," referring to Judge's determination. "Judgey is a very positive person too as far as wanting to get out there and he's one of the toughest guys I've ever met in my entire life. So if he can go [and play], he's gonna go."
Judge's availability for the upcoming postseason has been a subject of mixed reports. After being placed on the injured list with the calf injury, Judge stated his intention to be ready for the playoffs. However, manager Aaron Boone indicated that Judge was nursing a "moderate" strain and was not expected to be available for the Wild Card Series. Following the Yankees' 9-2 victory on Wednesday, Judge expressed confusion over Boone's comments and reiterated his goal of returning for the postseason.
"My goal is to come back as soon as I can. That's what I'm doing right now," Judge told reporters. "If [Boone] said I'm not gonna be ready, I've got no control over that. I've got control over what I can do. I'm trying to get back as soon as I can. If you ask if I'm gonna be back [for the wild-card series], I'm gonna say, 'Yeah.'"
The current calf issue marks the latest in a series of injuries for Judge during the 2026 season. He previously missed over three months due to a right rib stress fracture. This regular season, Judge finished with a .241 batting average, .360 on-base percentage, and .511 slugging percentage, along with 18 home runs and 41 RBIs in 66 games.
The Yankees' offense has been significantly impacted by injuries this season, with Trent Grisham, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Giancarlo Stanton — who missed the entire regular season with calf strains — also experiencing significant playing time lost.