​NEW YORK — Yankee Stadium was chilly and empty late Monday afternoon as the players took their last private batting practice session before the playoffs. The vibe was calm. You’d never know Aaron Judge was auditioning for a spot on the AL Wild Card Series roster, taking swings while manager Aaron Boone and his coaches watched in the background.The Yankees’ decision makers will wait until the last possible moment to decide on Judge’s status — partly to assess how much progress he has made from a serious calf injury. But the BP drill was borne mostly out of respect for the captain, who’s desperately trying to accelerate the healing process.The results were underwhelming. Judge was unable to get the ball out of the infield in four at-bats against Elmer Rodriguez and Ryan Weathers. He drew two walks, struck out looking and grounded out to the pitcher.The session ended without the breakthrough that Judge had been hoping for. It’s a near-certainty he’ll be left off the wild-card roster, which has to be submitted by the Yankees to MLB headquarters by 10 a.m. on Tuesday. Still, Judge’s return during the Division Series is possible, if not probable.The fact that Judge is even this close to being game-ready is a borderline miracle. A moderate-grade strain of the soleus muscle, like Judge’s, typically takes 4-6 weeks to heal. It’s been only 13 days, and yet Judge says, “It feels great.”So what’s his secret? Determination helps. So do good genes. But there’s another helping hand — an emerging medical technique called PPP injections.Judge received a shot from Dr. Chris Ahmad, the Yankees’ physician, last week. The slugger is banking on this therapy as the difference between helping the Yankees in October and having to postpone his return until 2027.PPP (platelet-poor plasma) is related to PRP (platelet-rich plasma). Both fluids are drawn from a patient’s blood sample after it’s spun in a centrifuge. PRP is dense with platelets that promote the healing of tendons and joints. It‘s been around since the mid-2000s and was popularized by Tiger Woods and other athletes.Conversely, PPP has no platelets, but has still gained traction over the last two to three years. Orthopedists have discovered that it is better suited to working on damaged muscles than on joints and tendons, and that it produces less inflammation. Despite doctors’ growing confidence in PPP, insurance companies still consider it experimental due to its newness.They routinely deny claims for both PRP and PPP. Patients must pay for treatment out of their own pocket – typically between $1,000-$1,500 per shot.Not that it would matter to Judge, who’s earning $40 million a year. He’s just looking for a way to get back on the field. He’s put his faith in the Yankees’ medical staff.“I’ve done a lot of PRP, a lot of stuff, but this is my first time doing this,” Judge said of the PPP injection. “So far, it’s felt pretty good. I’ve had a good resp