Aaron Judge Hits the IL with a Calf Strain, Forcing the Yankees to Scramble

Aaron Judge is back on the injured list, which means it is officially time for Yankees fans to start staring blankly at the wall. The big man has a strained right calf and is heading to the 10-day IL, leaving a massive, 6-foot-7 hole in the middle of the New York lineup.

To fill the empty roster spot, the Yankees recalled utility man Max Schuemann from Triple-A. Schuemann is hitting .194 this season, which means replacing Judge’s production is going to require a lot of thoughts, prayers, and maybe a seance in the Bronx.

"Bob Nightengale reported: 'Yankees star Aaron Judge is officially placed on the 10-day IL. They recall INF/OF Max Schuemann.'"

This is not exactly new territory for Judge or the people who bet on Yankees futures. The guy has missed 271 games with major injuries since his 2016 debut. He strained his right calf back in 2020 and missed weeks, and now an MRI from his September 16 game against the Minnesota Twins shows he did it again.

Taking a guy with 18 home runs out of the lineup completely shifts the math for New York. Sportsbooks are going to have to aggressively adjust the Yankees' run totals and moneyline prices, especially with the playoffs right around the corner. You cannot just plug a Triple-A bat into the outfield and expect the offense to keep humming.

The Yankees are currently out in Arizona trying to hold things together against the Diamondbacks. Judge is getting treatment and might need a PRP injection, but there is no official timeline for his return. Until he is back, New York is just trying to survive the schedule without their franchise cornerstone.