CC Sabathia warns Aaron Judge against rushing back from calf strain

CC Sabathia has a warning for Aaron Judge if the Yankees captain tries to rush back from his right calf strain for the beginning of the playoffs.  Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.“I absolutely understand his mindset,’’ Sabathia said.

“He wants to get back for the guys.You feel like you owe that to the guys.

But I would want him to be careful.” Sabathia pitched through knee and shoulder injuries, especially in the latter part of his career, and is now living with the consequences. “Even with as much praise as I get for pitching till my arm fell off, I still needed my knee replaced at 46 and my shoulder reconstructed,’’ said Sabathia, who will have his No.52 retired and a plaque unveiled in Monument Park before Game 1 of Friday’s doubleheader. Asked if he would change any of his decisions to stay on the mound in spite of the injuries, Sabathia paused and said, “No.” “But I had to think about it right now,’’ Sabathia said.

“There was no question at the time.You just do it.

But now, I think about everything I’m going through physically, and I’m not even 50.” Sabathia also saw Derek Jeter play with an injured foot throughout the final month and into the playoffs in 2012. Jeter finally went down with a fractured left ankle in Game 1 of the ALCS against Detroit, so he knows what it’s like to see a leader go down and not be available in the playoffs, as Judge could be when the wild-card series starts Tuesday. “[Judge] has been hurt all year, so you just keep going,’’ Sabathia said.“I remember when [Jeter] broke his ankle, we were sad, but what were we gonna do, quit? You’ve got to keep going.

You’ve got to play.”  Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+.Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Us...