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. 

“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.” 

Aaron Judge watches from the dugout during the Yankees’ blowout win over the Rays o Sept. 23, 2026 at the Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“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. 

Yankees great CC Sabathia, an MLB commentator for Netflix, is seen on the field before the start of the 2026 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby on July 13, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

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.” 

But, as Sabathia quickly noted with a laugh, “We got swept [in the series], but you’ve got to show up and play. It’s hard not to have your best player, especially when he’s the best player in the game.” 

As for his own honor, Sabathia said in some ways, it tops last year’s enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

“Not being a homegrown Yankee and to finish my career in Monument Park is incredible,’’ Sabathia said. “I don’t want to downplay the Hall of Fame, because that’s the biggest accomplishment of my life, but I think this is bigger. Being able to come here as the highest-paid pitcher ever at the time and have them feel I lived up to that makes me feel good.”