The Boston Red Sox arrive at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series knowing the New York Yankees lineup could look very different depending on one decision.
Aaron Judge has not played since September 16. He has been on the injured list with a moderate calf strain that has kept him sidelined for nearly two weeks. The three-time AL MVP has been limited to just 66 games this season.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said last week the club was preparing as though Judge would not be available for the series. He has not been ruled out.
On Monday at Yankee Stadium, Judge made clear he has no intention of watching from the bench.
Judge Is Pushing to Play
Judge spoke at the ballpark on Monday and left little doubt about where he stands ahead of the Red Sox series.
“I’m feeling great,” Judge said. “I’m doing a lot of work back there to try and get back as soon as I can. I’ve been swinging for a couple of days, moving around. I’m excited to get on the field, hit a little bit, and see what we can do.”
Judge acknowledged the timeline has been aggressive given the nature of the strain. A moderate calf injury typically requires at least three weeks to fully heal. It has been less than two weeks.
“If it happened in May, maybe the timeline is a little different,” Judge said.
He also said he has been actively lobbying the team to put him on the roster.
“I’ve been doing a lot of convincing,” Judge said. “I’m going to keep doing that.”
What It Means for the Red Sox
The Red Sox have spent the past week preparing for a Yankees lineup that may or may not include Judge. Boone has held his cards close on multiple injured players, including Giancarlo Stanton, Trent Grisham, and Ryan Weathers.
“He’s making progress,” Boone said of Judge. “We’ll continue to see where he’s at.”
Even diminished, Judge changes the equation. His power from the right side would give the Yankees a weapon against the Red Sox’ left-heavy pitching staff.
Final Word for the Red Sox
Aaron Judge wants to play. He has said so publicly. The calf strain has not healed on a normal timeline, but Judge is not treating this as a normal situation.
If he is, the matchup picture shifts. If he is not, the Red Sox face a Yankees lineup missing its most dangerous hitter.
Either way, the uncertainty ends soon.
Red Sox Get Late Aaron Judge Injury Update Ahead of Game 1