NEW YORK -- Yankees star Aaron Judge is not giving up on being available for the start of the postseason.
The three-time MVP told ESPN on Wednesday that he intends to be ready for Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium next Tuesday.
"That's what the plan is," Judge said before the Yankees' 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. "Try to get my body ready so I'm ready to go."
Judge, 34, was placed on the injured list Saturday with a right calf strain three days after suffering the injury. He later specified that the strain is in the soleus muscle, which he noted is essential for running and hitting. He confirmed that he received a PPP injection Monday and was waiting for clearance to resume activity that involved the leg. He is eligible to return for the final game of the regular season Sunday but confirmed he would not be activated before the postseason.
On Tuesday, after Judge and the club declined to divulge the severity of the injury through the weekend, Yankees manager Aaron Boone labeled it as a "moderate grade" strain. He added that he did not expect to have Judge available for the wild-card series, though he did not rule him out entirely.
After Wednesday's game, Boone reiterated he is not dismissing the possibility of Judge being cleared for the start of the postseason.
"Like I said, I'm not ruling anything out," Boone said. "We got days away [until] that. Not that I'm necessarily expecting that one way or the other, but we're going to listen to the body and see how he heals. If he's in a position to do that, obviously we're going to want him."
Judge said he has had discussions with decision-makers in the organization about his prognosis, which has not been made public, but "I can't control what people say" about the situation.
Speaking to reporters after Wednesday's win, Judge was asked if it would be realistic to return from a "moderate grade" strain by Tuesday.
"Everybody's moderate is a little different," Judge said. "Your moderate is a little different than my moderate, so on and so on. So, I don't know why he used those words. But, like I said, I'm trying to get back as soon as I can."
Judge said he suffered the injury during the Yankees' 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 16, in his seventh game back after missing more than three months with a fractured rib. He and the club were initially hopeful that it was minor, but he underwent an MRI on Thursday that revealed the strain.
Judge went 4-for-23 with 13 strikeouts, one walk and one home run in 24 plate appearances after returning from his fractured rib without a rehab assignment. Overall, he batted .241 with 18 home runs and a .871 OPS in 66 games, which includes playing with the fractured rib for over a month until late May.
After Wednesday's win, Judge acknowledged there's a risk in pushing to return to play in October too quickly for a chance to win his first World Series with a club that posted the second-best record in the AL despite him missing most of the season.
"I weigh it and I weigh it like this: We've got a great team and we've got a great opportunity in front of us," Judge said. "The future is not guaranteed, good or bad. My job is to do whatever I can to get back and things are feeling great."
The Yankees went 41-25 and averaged 5.12 runs with Judge in the lineup this season. Entering Wednesday, they're 49-42 and averaging 4.15 runs without him. They will face the Boston Red Sox in the wild-card series for the second consecutive postseason after knocking out their rivals in three games with Judge in their lineup last October.
New York reached the playoffs in eight of Judge's first nine full big-league seasons and Judge didn't miss a game, playing in all 65. He produced his best postseason last year, going 13-for-26 with a home run and a 1.273 OPS in the Yankees' seven games before they were eliminated by the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series.
"The Bronx is a magical place in October," Judge said. "So even going back to last year, I know we didn't finish the goal, but it was a great series against Boston in the wild card and then a tough series against the Blue Jays. But I don't want to miss out on that opportunity."