Aaron Judge takes another step toward potential Yankees playoff return

Aaron Judge was notably missing from pregame player introductions Tuesday ahead of Game 1 of the AL wild-card series, then was out of the state altogether Wednesday afternoon. There was an explanation for both — the latter perhaps more solid than the former — and both had to do with the Yankees captain desperately trying to make it back in time for the ALDS, assuming his teammates can get there.  Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.Aaron Boone indicated that Judge was getting treatment on his right calf strain during Tuesday’s player intros, when the three-time MVP likely would have gotten one of the loudest ovations from the crowd at Yankee Stadium.

A few minutes later, though, Judge was in the dugout and on the top step in time for first pitch against the Red Sox. “I didn’t even know until it happened, but I think a couple of the injured guys weren’t involved in it,” Boone said Wednesday afternoon.“I think he was getting treatment stuff.” Judge’s absence — during which at least some of the injured and nonroster Yankees players were introduced, like Ryan Weathers, Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill and Michael Fulmer — stoked speculation that either his first time running in the outfield earlier Tuesday did not go well, or this was his way of showing his displeasure with not being on the roster despite trying his best to make it. But an injury setback seemed to be snuffed out by the fact that Wednesday afternoon, Judge was in Somerset to take live at-bats with the Yankees’ stay-ready group — his second time facing live pitching in three days — with the pitchers there including Luis Gil, Eli Morgan and Justin Topa, among others.He was expected to be back in The Bronx for Game 2 against the Red Sox. Boone claimed he did not know whether Judge was scheduled to run the bases in Somerset, which he would likely need to do to be cleared to re...