Aaron Judge Left Off Yankees ALDS Roster vs Rays as Calf Recovery Continues
Boone prioritises fuller version of star slugger; Judge eligible if New York reaches ALCS
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File photo: Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees. Photo: Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Second straight round without the captain
Aaron Judge will again miss the New York Yankees’ American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays as he continues to recover from a right calf strain, manager Aaron Boone confirmed on Saturday in St. Petersburg.
The three-time AL MVP is not on the club’s 26-man ALDS roster after also sitting out New York’s two-game wild-card sweep of the Boston Red Sox. Judge last played on Sept. 16, when he strained the soleus muscle in his right calf in his seventh game back from a fractured rib that had already cost him more than three months.
Boone’s decision
Boone said he decided after meeting with Judge and director of sports medicine Mike Shuck following Friday’s workout. “I obviously decided keeping him off was the best thing,” Boone told reporters. “He’s getting close, but for us to get a version of Aaron back and to win a World Series, this week’s important for him to continue to work towards getting back. He just started running. He’s hit now a couple of days.”
Boone added that another several days of building running endurance mattered more than forcing a limited return, noting the turf at Tropicana Field was also a factor in discussions. Judge had faced live pitching and taken batting practice during the wild-card round but was not deemed ready for a full playoff role.
Roster notes and ALCS path
The Yankees will carry 11 pitchers and 15 position players. The only change from the wild-card roster was replacing utility man Amed Rosario with left-hander Ryan Weathers, who is returning from a forearm flexor strain as a restricted one-inning reliever. Giancarlo Stanton remains as a pinch-hit option after missing most of the season with calf injuries.
Barring an injury substitution, Judge can only return if the Yankees beat the AL East champion Rays and advance to the ALCS. CBS Sports noted that carrying him now and then removing him for injury would also have barred him from the next round under MLB rules. New York was 54-43 without Judge this season including the playoffs, per ESPN and CBS.
